The Pelješac Bridge, a 2,440-meter-long, 22.5-meter-wide road cable-stayed bridge over the Mali Ston Bay of the Adriatic Sea, connecting the Croatian mainland with the Pelješac Peninsula. Since its opening, the bridge has spared travelers from detours through Bosnia and Herzegovina, greatly shortening travel time. What once required a daunting 2 to 3 hours of driving, now takes a mere 20 to 30 minutes.

Over the past year, more than 2.1 million vehicles have safely crossed the bridge, vastly promoting local economic development and enhancing the quality of life for the local people.

Niksa Kaleb, a partner of the bridge project, said in a recent interview with Xinhua that he appreciated the Chinese builders for building the beautiful and spectacular bridge and for giving him and his colleagues the opportunity to work on the bridge project.

According to local resident Stipe Kapo, since the bridge's opening last year, it has emerged as a tourist attraction, consistently providing an influx of guests to local hotels.

Vedran Antunica, the mayor of Ston, affirmed that the bridge has become a quintessential architectural landmark in the region, dramatically augmenting tourism figures in Ston, Dubrovnik, Korčula, and other surrounding areas, thereby substantially propelling the local tourist economy.