Bridge engineering is one of the core courses in the major of civil engineering (focusing on transportation or road-bridge engineering), the major of road, bridge, and river-crossing engineering in China. Classroom activity based on textbook remains the primary form and plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of the teaching process. The compulsory course bridge engineering is taken as the subject, and an in-depth discussion on the compilation and revision of the textbooks is conducted in response to the main issues identified in the current teaching. The framework of the textbook is reasonable, which is primarily based on the structural types of bridges and supplemented by the classification of materials. The textbook follows the learning rule of knowledge and adopts the method of introduction guidance, main content narration and general induction to achieve optimal teaching outcomes with limited class hours and ensure coherence with subsequent courses. By introducing and comparing the mechanical characteristics of different bridge structures, the textbook reinforces students’ understanding of the mechanical foundation. The textbook also emphasizes practicality, based on students’ future employment situations, and incorporates the latest engineering technologies and trends to enhance its timeliness. Moreover, to adapt to China’s infrastructure construction needs and the current status of civil engineering education, as well as to serve the Belt and Road Initiative, the paper concludes with a description of the progress made in preparing the Vietnamese and English versions of the textbook.