Oriental garden

Country: Spain

Manufacture: Lladro

Date of establishment: 1993

Sculptor: Salvador Debón

Size (cm): 53*100

Limited Series

PORCELAIN STORY

Every year on March 18, residents of Sydney, Australia (and perhaps the entire Green Continent) celebrate an unusual holiday - the birthday of the bridge. Not just any bridge, but a completely unique structure, which Australians have been proud of for a long time and rightfully so. Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to see it myself. But when while traveling around Australia, my wife and our then little Dimochka and I sailed to Melbourne on an ancient "colonial" steamship (with such a big chimney, you know, from which thick smoke was billowing, and a huge wheel, as if grinding the water), our ears were buzzing with stories about the Harbor Bridge. Unique, one of a kind, one of the largest steel arch bridges in the world.

It was opened on March 18, 1932. And the model for its creation is said to be the famous New York Hell Gate Bridge. The arch span of the Sydney bridge has a length of 503 meters. And on this indicator it is only slightly behind the 518-meter span of the longest steel arch bridge New River-Gorge, laid across the gorge, through which flows the river New River in the state of West Virginia, USA. But since in recent years in the construction of bridges with long spans more and more often choose the scheme of suspension or cable-stayed bridge (they are much lighter and cheaper than rigid arch bridges), the Harbor Bridge, apparently, for a long time will remain in the list of the largest arch bridges in the world.

Australians call this unusual marvel of bridge-building "The Hanger". Outwardly, the bridge really resembles this familiar for each of us household item. But the weight of the Sydney "Hanger" is amazing - 39 thousand tons! And the height, I'll tell you, is incredible -- 134 meters above sea level (the highest point) and 49 meters of clearance (clearance) above the water surface, which allows any ocean vessels to pass under the bridge. The steel elements of the bridge are connected by 6 million rivets, and to support the structure, mighty towers almost 100 meters high, clad in gray granite, have been erected along the banks.

Every Harbour Bridge birthday is celebrated with a huge celebration, usually culminating in a grand fireworks display. The first such pyrotechnic parade was held here in 1986 during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Australian Navy. And since then such pyrotechnic shows are held annually. Exactly 10 years ago, a kind of record was even recorded. After all, then the spectators of the show were one and a half million people, and the TV audience of the holiday amounted to 1.1 billion viewers!..