China has long been crowned the world's workshop for its output of televisions, steel pipes, Christmas decorations and countless other products enjoyed by customers worldwide. Now global buyers may want to add another "Made-in-China" designation to their wish lists - construction teams.
A video clip featuring Chinese builders swapping out a bridge in downtown Beijing within 43 hours has gone viral on social media in China and abroad.
The two-minute time-lapse video recorded workers replacing the Sanyuanqiao cloverleaf junction, which is a major congestion point on a tollway to the airport. It also links two pivotal highways: the Third Ring Road and the highway linking downtown Beijing with the outlying Shunyi District.
The project started at around 11 pm on Nov 13 and ended on Nov 15. The most challenging part of the overhaul was the replacement of the 1,300-ton bridge structure, which cost 39 million yuan ($6.1 million), according to Xinhua.
The video received active response from Chinese netizens.
Weibo user @Diedi27 said that the swap showcased China's speed and advanced technology to the world.
"Really remarkable! The city is developing so fast, so we have to deal with its problems with innovation," said @Wangshuaizaiyilake.
@zhongyongzhidao: The project is active, efficient and it is not disturbing to the citizens. I feel really proud.
The footage also garnered more than 1,680,000 views on YouTube by Nov 24.
Many foreign viewers expressed their amazement at the "Chinese speed" as many asked whether this construction team does contract work overseas.
"In my homeland of the Philippines it would take an entire president's term to even go halfway, not to mention the amount of money pocketed as the project goes on," Patrick Chua complained.
"In the UK five years of planning plus an overspend of 3,000 percent,etc., or was that just the new Scottish Parliament buildings we paid for?" another viewer, Ron, said.
Eric Faivre: In Indonesia they would take 43 weeks to decide how much money needs to be given to officials and then it would take four years to complete.
Joydeep Joe Sarkar: I've great respect for China when it comes to infrastructure.
However, some cautioned that safety should also be guaranteed in such projects, with one anonymous viewer saying that speedy is impressive, safe even more so.
