Golden Bridge on the Silk Road by Shu Yong on display in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Ma

Golden Bridge on the Silk Road by Shu Yong on display in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Ma

A sculpture of a golden bridge made for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) went on display in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday. The huge bridge is set to conduct an international tour of BRI countries.

To welcome the Understanding China Conference held in Guangzhou, the large sculpture, Golden Bridge on the Silk Road, has come to the city, which serves not only an important role in the BRI, but also serves as a bridgehead for the Greater Bay Area.

In addition to Guangzhou, many other capitals and major cities in BRI countries including Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia and Italy are set to be part of the bridge's international tour.

"The sculpture was designed by the creation team and built in cooperation with nearly 500 workers within a year," said Shu Yong, the main creator of the art piece. 

Inspired by China's renowned ancient Zhaozhou Bridge, the sculpture is made from more than 20,000 bricks, each of which features a different national flower of the countries that take part in the BRI.

Shu won a lifetime achievement award for the bridge at the Belt and Road Cultural and Creative Competition as the China International Fair for Trade in Services wrapped up in September. His creative design has been seen as representing the spirit of the BRI.

Golden Bridge on the Silk Road first debuted at the Milan Expo in 2015, after which it has been shown on many international occasions such as the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.