The Magnificent Karst Bridges Of Wulong

Asia, Photo Stories, , , 100 Comments

The stunning Three Natural Bridges in Wulong National Geology Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site, and setting for key scenes in “Transformers 4: Age  of Extinction” & “Curse of the Golden Flower” – was the highlight of our China trip along with Laitan ancient town. I featured both in some of my earliest posts.

The 200 metre high Tianlong (Sky Dragon) Bridge. The two red clad people at the base add a sense of scale.
The 200 metre high Tianlong (Sky Dragon) Bridge. The two red clad figures at the base give a sense of scale.
The outdoor glass elevator!
Sedan chair to help the disabled access the rest of the descent.
Structures built during the filming of “The Curse of the Golden Flower’

Here is a recap in photos of that visit, and of our spectacular descent into the 1.5 kilometre gorge. (All shot with a point and shoot that has long since been retired.)

Second opening of the double arched bridge.

Thank you for reading & have a great weekend!

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Madhu is an Interior designer turned travel blogger on a long sabbatical to explore the world. When not crafting stories on The Urge To Wander, she's probably Tweeting @theurgetowander or sharing special moments on instagram.com/theurgetowander

100 thoughts on “The Magnificent Karst Bridges Of Wulong”

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  8. I read your comments with Cathy (Dutchak) and they made me smile. I’ll just fit in Burma, Vietnam… while I’m here 🙂 Ever onwards before time runs out! She’s published some stunning photos of the karst landscape. I’m just jealous of the pair of you, Madhu 🙂 🙂

  11. Magnificent is right, Madhu – I had to look hard at your first photo to see that those red-clad figures were indeed people! China has an incredible amount of karst landscapes and I think they’ve discovered one of the world’s longest cave systems (and probably one of the largest) in this area. One chamber is so big it has its own weather systems – complete with clouds – so explorers named it “cloud ladder hall”. Here is a shot: http://www.shonephotography.com/wp-content/gallery/underworld/rcs_spl_b19750.jpg

  13. stunning shots – and the collage just gives us so much more of a feel for this beautiful place…

  14. What a truly magnificent place! I’m still longing to go to China, don’t make it any worse 😉

      1. The cost, I simply couldn’t afford it.
        Entered a competition recently that would have allowed me to go if I had come 1st, 2nd or 3rd. I came 4th!

  17. These are gorgeous, Madhu. You are so lucky to have the opportunity to see such wonders, up close, and personal. Thank you so much for sharing your captures. 😉

    1. Marcy, what a pleasure to see you back after all this time! Have missed you lots. And the Orples 🙂

  19. Beautiful captures of all the beauty Madhu. My favourite is the dragon etched into the rock. Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing. 😀

    1. Yeah, that was more or less our reaction down in that gorge! 🙂 Appreciate your stopping by to comment.

  23. Beautiful photos, Madhu. I’m so sad that we live in China, but haven’t done much traveling around the mainland, except Beijing and Shanghai… there is so much natural beauty to be explored. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Happens. I am yet to visit Sri Lanka, which is just across the strait from us! 🙂 Thanks Kan.

    1. It sure was! And I did, thank you Bente. An amazing week in fact, catching up with my ‘American’ sister and our extended family 🙂

    1. I would love to return Stewart. I bet the US has many grand geological sights. I had never seen anything quite like this before.

      1. Madhu,
        There are lots of impressive places in the US, it’s true, although most are pretty far from where I’m living at the moment. Someday, with a larger travel budget… 🙂
        -David

  30. When did you visit this area, Madhu? Is it worth checking out while I’m in China? I would have to do it during my winter holiday in February, because it’s quite a distance from me here in Nanning, but it might be interesting. It looks great. 🙂

    1. Had no idea you had moved to China Cathy!! Have so much catching up to do.

      We went in 2009. Chongqing itself is a foggy industrial town, but it was a great base to visit some spectacular places nearby. We couldn’t include all of them, but Laitan and Wulong certainly didn’t disappoint. It was worth the detour for us. We flew in from Xian. See if you can find a good flight deal. Just make sure you do not visit on a holiday though 🙂

      1. Yes, Madhu, I came to China to teach English at a college that’s part of a big university here in Nanning, only about 5 hours from Yangshuo and Guilin and also just north of the Vietnam border. I came in September, so I haven’t been here long. I know about traveling on the holiday as I did just that on my trip to Yangshuo in October. It was a crazy experience.

        Thanks for the recommendations. I will try to squeeze in as much as I can while here, but my plan is to go back home in July. That means I need to do what I can in a relatively short time, all that while working too. 🙂

        1. Deciding where to go will be the hardest part with all that China has on offer. Good luck with the travel plans.

        2. Thanks, Madhu. Yes, there are so many options and the weather will be bad in February, when I get a 5-week break. Mike will come to join me for two weeks during this time, so he’ll travel around China with me. Then I hope to go to Burma, Laos and Sapa, Vietnam. Who knows where else I can go. It all depends on my funds I suppose!! 🙂

  31. Wow Madhu! This place is absoluletly stunning. And putting it to scale with the red figures, was really clever of you.

    1. The presence of those figures in just the right colours was more luck than skill Cindy 🙂

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  33. Spectacular! An area of the world which you have shown to us with your usual professionalism.

  34. What an amazing size these karsts are, Madhu. The descent must have been absolutely awesome. Just imagine what went into building an installing the elevator. 🙂

    1. Sylvia, we were left open mouthed at many places in China, but this elevator had us absolutely dumbfounded! And grateful 🙂

  35. I remember your earlier blog on Laitan and had bookmarked it for future travel reference. This landscape is amazing and I can see why it was the hi-lite of your trip. Maybe we’ll make it there one of these days. Have a great weekend, too.

    1. You should Lynne. I know Ron and you would love it. Let me know if you need help with the planning.

    1. Oh yes Sally. We particularly loved this segment because it was out of the standard tourist circuit.

    1. It seemed like everything in China – natural or man made – was on a gigantic scale Gilly.

      1. Me too Madhu. I really want to see the Chinese countryside. I only saw Shanghai and Beijing! So much more to see!!!

  40. Magnificent is the right word! WOW!
    Just amazing and since I will not get there in person, I appreciate your sharing to take me along.
    Best, Ruth

  42. This may be a stupid question but how did you descent into the Gorge? Lift or steps? 1.5 km sounds terrifying if you had to walk all the way to the top. 🙂

    1. We took the elevator down Tara. There were further steps to the lowest level and then we walked the rest of the way to the other end. The path slopes up a bit towards the end, but the trek isn’t too hard. We didn’t know that at the beginning though and I had a moment of panic looking up from the bottom of that gorge! 🙂

  43. Madhu, this post reminds me of the time when I first discovered your blog and read your posts on China. Was it 2 years ago? Gosh, time flies, doesn’t it? I’m really intrigued with the photos in this post as I don’t see a lot of people at the places you visited. Have a great weekend too!

    1. I complete three in Jan Bama….time does fly! It has been my pleasure to have you follow me on my blogging journey almost from the start 🙂
      We were fortunate to have just a dozen or so domestic tourists with us on the shuttle to the Three Bridges. We were the only foreigners. Dazu on the other hand was overrun by mega horn blaring guides leading huge tour groups.

    1. That is China for you….where both natural and man made sights vie with each other in grandeur! Appreciate your taking the time to comment Dennis. Have a great weekend.

  46. Th whole place looks very steep and dangerous, all three bridges are different…did you walk through all these bridges and how was your experience, the thought one generates at the sight is that of precariously perched mountain terrains, good to see from a distance but not to venture into those dangerous cliffs …looks great but not devoid of risk…nevertheless, lovely shots…kudos to your adventurous spirit…

    1. Thanks Nihar. Yes we did walk through the three bridges. That elevator and the neat wooden walkways ensured easy access. Still it took us about a couple of hours to reach the other end of the park from where a shuttle transported us back to the tourist center. Well worth the effort.

      1. Yes, one must explore when one visits such beautiful places…the dilemma is whether to see and enjoy the surrounding or focus on taking the right shots…keep up your wonderful explorations…looking forward!!!

  47. oh my goodness, that’s a very impressive area. the two tiny figures in red put it in perfect perspective – i might have been a bit squeamish to peer up up up and ponder just how small i am!

    1. Yes, the karst formations were massive Lisa. And the area was pristine despite that ultra modern and rather incongruous elevator 😉

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