ABSTRACT
The way bridges are constructed is closely related to the economic development of a country. In general, the materials, structural types, and techniques used in the construction of each bridge are reflective of the state-of-the-art technologies available at the time when the bridge was built. Historically, Taiwan* has been regarded as a remote island off the central mainland of China. As such, the development history of Taiwan is relatively short, that is, less than 200 years, compared with other parts of China that have a history of thousands of years. A brief retrospect of the construction history of bridges in Taiwan is helpful for us to comprehend the economic development curve of the residents in Taiwan since the last quarter of the nineteenth century, when ancestors started to cross the Taiwan Strait and cultivate the island.
