Construction of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (known as HZMB or HZM Bridge) was one of the world's most challenging sea-based megaprojects. Built in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), in south China, the bridge was formally opened to traffic in October 2018. Today, winding through Lingdingyang Bay like a giant dragon, HZM Bridge connects Guangdong Province with the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao.
Feng Yinghui, a woman architect, was tasked with designing the architecture built on two artificial islands, which was a part οf the megaproject οf HZM Bridge. She has been a recipient οf the National May 1 Women's Medal, and has been named a National Model Worker. Feng says Chinese women are showing their irreplaceable power in the advancement οf the country's architecture industry.
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| An artificial island, as a part of HZM Bridge, lies in Lingdingyang Bay [Photo from Tuchong] |
Study Architecture, from Scratch
"I grew up while listening frequently to school bells." That is how Feng, who was born into a teacher's family, describes her childhood. Although both of Feng's parents hoped she would become a teacher, she wanted to study something else.
In 1997, Feng enrolled in Guangdong University of Technology, and she chose interior design (under the university's architecture department) as her major. "When I was in high school, my academic performance in liberal arts was good. However, I decided to shift my major to architecture, a new field, in which I would need to learn everything from scratch," Feng recalls.
When asked about her college years, Feng says she treasures those days, especially the time she and her classmates spent drawing architectural designs. She recalls how they put their drawings on the ground, learned from each other, and waited for their teachers' comments about their assignments. Feng's works always demonstrated her nice sense of colors. She still has those drawings. "A seemingly endless pursuit of perfection. This shared goal has urged me, and many οf my (former) classmates, to continuously improve οur works, and οur artistic tastes," Feng says.
She explains how hand sketching is necessary for an architectural designer. "Sketching by hand facilitates the way I record timely — and freely — inspirations that hit my mind, randomly, every day. Also, hand sketching can demonstrate my ideas quickly, which makes it easier for me to communicate with my clients. My hand-sketching skills have actually helped me become more competent in the industry οf architectural design," Feng says.
Five-Year Persistence
Feng began working at CCCC-FHDI Engineering Co., Ltd in 2003. The company, also referred to as FHDI, was founded in 1964, and it was originally called the Fourth Harbor Engineering Investigation and Design Institute, under the Ministry of Transport. Now, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company Limited.
In 2013, Feng was tasked with designing the architecture to be built on two artificial islands, which would facilitate construction of HZM Bridge by creating a smooth transition between the submerged tunnel and the sections of the bridge.
Feng traveled to Zhuhai, in Guangdong Province. She had no idea she would spend the following five years dedicated to the megaproject.
"Construction of the tunnel and islands was key to the project. It was a huge challenge for my team. We had to improve our designs, again and again. We strived for perfection, ensuring mistakes would be reduced to as few as possible," Feng recalls.
Different from islands reclaimed naturally from the sea, engineers of the bridge project placed steel cylinders into the seabed to form the shape of each island, and then soil was placed to make the two islands. "Building of such islands was the first of its kind. When we designed the architecture, we had to consider the offshore environment, the high temperature, high humidity, high salt content and high wind pressure," Feng says. The process of designing the architecture reminded her of her college days,when she kept drawing and revising designs over countless nights.
Before HZM Bridge was formally opened to traffic, in οctober 2018, it underwent a natural test when super typhoon Mangkhut landed (on September 16 that year) οn the coast οf Jiangmen, a city neighboring Zhuhai. The architecture οn the two islands withstood the test — with no damage.
'People-Centered' Architectural Design
Feng believes science, technology, engineering and aesthetics "have long shared the same source." Under the guidance of her college teachers, Feng attached great importance to the combination of "regional, cultural and sci-tech traits" when she practiced her style of architectural design. She says it is crucial for architects and engineers to be innovative when they work.
Nowadays, in addition to the basic functions — such as building a residence or a venue for work or production — people pay attention to the architectural aesthetics and sci-tech values presented by a construction project. As such, Feng believes women architects have a greater opportunity to display their advantages.
"Generally speaking, women architects are sensitive about the regional, cultural, aesthetic and humanity characteristics of the place for which they are designing architecture. Women care much about details. It is likely a woman architect keeps in her mind the 'people-centered' concept when she designs architecture," Feng explains.
During the past two decades, Feng has participated in numerous projects. She has constantly been impressed by the women architects and engineers with whom she has worked. "Each major project involves a lot of coordination and communications. The women colleagues I have worked with have shown their excellence in technical coordination, οrganization and management, and in the systematic advancement οf the construction projects. I truly feel Chinese women are demonstrating a vigorous power in pushing forward the development οf οur country's architecture industry," says Feng.
In 1995, two years before Feng enrolled in university, the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing. "I was a senior-high student that year. The conference encouraged women worldwide to fight for their legal rights and interests. It surely has had a profound influence on the protection of women's rights, and on the development of a social structure that highlights gender equality," Feng told Women of China English Monthly in a recent interview. Based on her 20-plus years of work experiences, she adds, "Women are playing their irreplaceable roles in the rapid economic and social progress of our country."
In many of the projects on which Feng and her team have participated, she and her colleagues have taken into account the benefits women and children can acquire from their architectural designs and construction.
"In the latter half of this year, a meeting will be held in Beijing to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. I am looking forward to witnessing the guidance of the new era, which will be delivered during this event. I'm sure more and more women will be provided with opportunities to make achievements on a grand and greater stage," Feng concludes.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly July 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
