China's Lucky Knot Bridge joins eight different locations. (Photo : Facebook)
The Lucky Knot Bridge in Changsha, China, is a pedestrian bridge inter-connecting eight different locations along the Dragon King Harbor River. It was designed by Next Architects and won an award in 2013 for the bridge's design.
The Lucky Knot is an intertwined bridge that binds three separate bridges into one. It is 600 feet long and can be accessed in eight different street locations.
It resembles a knot, which is regarded as a lucky omen by Chinese tradition. The bridge is colored red for good luck.
The shape of the Lucky Knot was inspired by the principle of the Mobius ring, as well as by the Chinese knotting art. In the ancient decorative Chinese folk art, the knot symbolizes luck and prosperity," says John van de Water, partner at NEXT architects Beijing.
The bridge resembles an infinity sign and in aerial view, the bridge seems to have no beginning and no end.
"The Lucky Knot is more than a bridge and a connection between two river banks. Its success lays in bringing cultures together, and in the fusion of history, technology, art, innovation, architecture and spectacle," adds NEXT architects Beijing partner Jiang Xiaofei.
According to NEXT architect's website, "the bridge is set to become a landmark attraction in the light route that traces the path of the Dragon King Harbour River."
The bridge stands 700 meters above the river to allow boats to travel beneath it. A pedestrian must take 1,000 steps to get to the other end.
While walking across, there are five gates that overlap and are called "moon gates" by NEXT Architects' partner Michel Schreimachers. Moon gates are circular passageways used in traditional Chinese garden architecture.
