关键词: 拱桥, 表层差异, 文化观念, 中西方文化对比

Abstract: There are many differences between Chinese and western traditional arch bridge buildings in many aspects. These surface differences can be roughly divided into five categories: material and structure， decoration and style， use and purpose， concept and aesthetics， maintenance and management. Behind the surface differences are the differences in cultural concepts in the development of Chinese and western traditional history， which are embodied in six aspects: the unity of man and nature and the conquest of nature， the harmony of the mean and the rebellion of personality， the thinking of curve and straight line， the spirit of everything and humanism， the farming civilization and the marine civilization， and the concept of birth and entry into the world.

Key words: arch bridge, surface difference, cultural concepts, comparison between Chinese and western cultures