Hi! Hope you had a nice weekend.

Today’s Now I Know talks about suicide and self-harm. If you’re in need of help, you’re not alone. Crisis Text Line (in the US, Canada, and UK) and others (internationally) are there to support you. — Dan

The Angel of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge

The Chinese city of Nanjing is home to about 9.3 million people, making it the 13th most populous city in the country. It’s located in the eastern part of China (here’s a map) and straddles the Yangtze River. Like most cities with a river that runs through it, Nanjing is home to a few bridges, with the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge (above) perhaps the most notable. Unfortunately, this bridge holds a dubious distinction: it is often cited as the home to the most suicide attempts anywhere on the planet.

Which is why Chen Si, pictured below with the bridge in the background, is widely considered a hero.

In 2000, Chen, then age 22, was walking across the bridge, not thinking much about the bridge or its dubious place in history. But as the Bangkok Post reported, his life changed that day: “he spotted a woman -- a young migrant worker like himself -- on the edge, 70 meters (230 feet) above the water, crying and contemplating jumping. After he stopped to talk, the woman climbed down and Chen realized he may inadvertently have saved a life.” And he must have felt a great deal of pride from that accidental good deed, because for the two-plus decades since, Chen has been returning to the bridge to help others in distress.

As NPR reported in 2008, Chen has spent most of his weekends traversing the bridge, “seeking out the despairing and the depressed to stop them from throwing themselves over the bridge.” Identifying those in need was a skill he developed quickly; per a New York Times article, ‘"It is very easy to recognize,’ he said of potential jumpers. ‘A person walks without spirit.’” He approaches those he deems at risk and talks to them, showing them that someone indeed cares and is willing to help. He’s not always successful — he has, unfortunately, witnessed people jump — but he always tries, and often with good results. NPR relays one such success story:

And more often than not, the people he comes across does, in fact, give Chen the time to help. At times, Chen will bring the people he’s trying to help home with him, to join in a meal with a friendly face or two. When one would-be jumper told him that she was depressed because she didn’t have the money to pay her university tuition, Chen, a transportation manager with limited means, helped her raise the 10,000 yuan ($1,400) she needed. And he’s also used this own money to help people facing homelessness rent an apartment. His work, he told the press, doesn’t end on the bridge — because some people will just return to the bridge if the underlying issues aren’t addressed.

And those who aren’t persuaded by Chen’s outreach? He doesn’t give up on them, either. As the South China Morning Post reported, “he has also pulled people back from the edge and assisted in rescuing those who have already jumped into the river.”

As of July 2024, Chen has saved an estimated 469 people. In 2015, he was the subject of a documentary filmmaker who dubbed him the “Angel of Nanjing,” a title well deserved.

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More About Bridges

Today’s Bonus fact: In 2002, a Dublin, Ireland agency commissioned the construction of a footbridge over the River Liffey that opened to accommodate tall ships that would sail on the waterway. It worked fine for a while, but according to The Journal (Ireland), the drawbridge functionality broke in 2010. Why? In 2013, the Journal reported that “the design includes two 44-metre-long arms, capable of swinging open, and closing again when required. That operation is controlled by remote control – technically a ‘remote radio hand-held pendant key.’ [But] that key was lost in 2010.” A year after that report hit, the agency finally fixed the bridge. It cost roughly €1,800 (or about $1,900) — which seems like something that could have been solved without the four-year wait.

From the Archives: A Bridge Too Far: How a kite flying contest helped build a bridge over Niagara Falls.

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And thanks! — Dan