Beipan River Iron Chain Bridge and Stone Carvings

Beipan River Iron Chain Bridge and Stone Carvings

The Beipan River Iron Chain Bridge is a perilous yet iconic bridge on the Yunnan-Guizhou Highway, located 24 kilometers east of Qinglong County. Known as the "Key to Yunnan and Guizhou," it has been described as a "natural barrier capable of holding back an army of ten thousand." In the first year of the Chongzhen era (1628) during the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Jiamin, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guizhou (a native of Qujing, Yunnan), oversaw the construction of the Panjiang Iron Chain Bridge, which was completed in the third year of Chongzhen (1630).

In October 1936, the Guizhou Provincial Construction Department transformed the iron bridge into a steel cable suspension bridge capable of carrying vehicles. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, to meet wartime needs, in October 1938, the Southwest Highway Bureau further upgraded the suspension bridge into a double-lane steel truss bridge with a load capacity of 15 tons.

Qinglong County — Beipan River Iron Chain Bridge and Stone Carvings. Accessible via G320 National Highway, approximately a 40-minute drive. No admission fee.