Panjiang Bridge

Panjiang Bridge

Panjiang Bridge

The Panjiang Iron Bridge, also known as the Iron Chain Bridge, is famously called the "Lock and Key of Yunnan and Guizhou." It is situated in the Beipan River Valley, 25 kilometers east of the county seat. Prior to the early years of the Chongzhen Emperor’s reign in the Ming Dynasty, there was no bridge, and crossings were made by ferry boats. In the first year of the Chongzhen era (1628), Zhu Jiamin, the Deputy Military Commissioner overseeing Guizhou’s southern regions (Qian’an and Pu’an), a native of Qujing, Yunnan, who later became the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guizhou, modeled the bridge after the iron chain bridges over the Lancang River in Yunnan and initiated the construction of the Panjiang Iron Chain Bridge. It took three years to complete. The original iron bridge consisted of 33 iron chains forming the body of the bridge, anchored at both ends into the rock. The bridge deck was made up of 24 parallel iron chains, laid with wooden planks, and flanked on both sides by six iron chains each serving as guardrails—making for an impressive sight. However, due to repeated warfare and battles over control of the bridge, it was set on fire multiple times by rival forces. In subsequent dynasties, it underwent various phases of reinforcement. In the 23rd year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign (1684), a patrol inspection building was added, and soldiers were stationed to guard the bridge. By the 50th year of Kangxi’s reign (1711), the iron chain bridge was rebuilt, and protective towers (also called Bell and Drum Towers) were expanded on both the eastern and western banks to control the bridge’s opening and closing. According to local elders Mu Zhiqiang and Wu Xianchao, in March 1938 during the Republic of China era, when French engineers were repairing the bridge, they assisted by cooking and laying wooden planks. When the bridge was just one plank short of completion between the two banks, the iron chains snapped simultaneously, causing the entire bridge to collapse and hang sideways off the eastern bank’s abutment. This tragic accident resulted in 13 deaths and 17 serious injuries, including the death of an engineer surnamed Lin, who was buried on the hillside of the western bank, with a memorial stele erected in his honor. Construction resumed that same month, and the bridge reopened to traffic in May of the following year. The ceremony was presided over by Ye Jiyuan, Director of the Guizhou Provincial Construction Department. Between 1939 and 1940, Japanese aircraft repeatedly bombed the bridge, destroying three iron chains. It was then rebuilt as a steel truss suspension bridge. The bridge has a total length of 85.5 meters, a clear width of 4 meters, and a height of 25 meters, featuring three spans with clear lengths of 6 meters, 38.4 meters, and 5.7 meters respectively. To protect the Panjiang Iron Bridge and ensure the smooth transport of domestic and international supplies, the National Revolutionary Army deployed four German-made 2 cm anti-aircraft guns with a range of two kilometers at strategic hilltops near Banpantang on the western bank. A military police squad was responsible for bridge security. In the spring of 1940, as Japan intensified its invasion of China and carried out large-scale bombings on China’s strategic rear areas, aiming to cut off the supply lines for the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Burma and Allied aid to China, 18 Japanese planes flew from Baise, Guangxi, to the skies over Panjiang Bridge on May 14. They dropped 165 high-explosive bombs and 2 incendiary bombs in seven attacks. Due to the bridge’s concealed location, the Japanese planes failed to locate a critical point to strike and missed the bridge entirely, only destroying one building nearby. In the early summer of 1941, Japan launched the Pacific War and intensified bombings on Panjiang Bridge in an effort to secure a land route through China to Southeast Asia. From June 1 to 8, Japanese aircraft conducted four bombing raids involving 36 planes. On June 8, nine Japanese planes approached from Guangxi via Yunnan, assembled over Panjiang Bridge, and flew in formation at an altitude of 2 kilometers before diving in a low-altitude approach from 6 kilometers upstream at Dapanjiang into the river valley to target the bridge. Evading the anti-aircraft defenses at Banpantang and with the bridge’s defensive machine gun unit unable to respond, the Japanese planes dropped 9 high-explosive bombs weighing between 300 to 500 pounds, completely destroying the bridge structure and foundation. The attacking planes then retreated along their incoming route. Following this, Japanese planes continued to attempt bombings, but after the iron bridge was destroyed, a pontoon bridge was employed as a temporary solution—three boats lined up in a row, covered with wooden planks, allowing pedestrians and vehicles to cross. In 1942, American engineers were stationed by the Panjiang River to repair the bridge, constructing a chain-link suspension bridge. The surviving steel truss bridge, with its stone piers, has remained solid despite decades of sediment scouring. At both the eastern and western ends of the bridge, two tall, thick concrete watchtowers shaped like cones stand as remnants of ancient Bell and Drum Towers. The bridge deck consists of 19 steel girders, topped with 128 wooden blocks about 20 cm thick, which are further covered with two layers of wooden planks running east-west for vehicle passage. The edges of the bridge deck are secured with two sturdy steel cables anchored to both banks. Remarkably, the steel rail beams, cable connections, and rivets on the bridge remain tightly fitted, smooth, and corrosion-free despite 60 years of weathering. The engineering quality is exceptional. The bridge’s clear span was increased by 2 meters compared to the original, with a load capacity raised by 10 tons, and the connecting roadbeds on both sides were upgraded to dual lanes. In the same year, to enhance defenses, the National Revolutionary Army assigned the 10th Company of the 4th Battalion of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment to take over protection duties. During my visit, I happened to meet Shu Gang, the former bridge defense company commander, who was visiting from Taiwan. Standing by the bridge, he recalled how the original anti-aircraft guns were positioned to defend against threats along the bridge’s east-west axis, but they proved ineffective against Japanese air attacks. After analyzing the terrain, he concluded that the steep cliffs on either side of the bridge made low-altitude attacks difficult for enemy planes, which would risk crashing into the rocks. He thus shifted the defensive focus to targeting the river valley downstream. With additional troops and artillery support from higher command, the air defense capabilities were strengthened. As a result, although enemy planes continued their assaults, they not only failed to hit the bridge but were also driven off, some even damaged.

Between 1939 and 1940 (the 28th to 29th years of the Republic of China), Japanese aircraft repeatedly bombed the bridge, damaging three iron chains, leading to its reconstruction as a steel truss suspension bridge. The bridge is 85.5 meters long, with a clear width of 4 meters and a height of 25 meters. It features three spans with clear lengths of 6 meters, 38.4 meters, and 5.7 meters respectively. To safeguard the Panjiang Iron Bridge and ensure the uninterrupted transportation of supplies to and from China and abroad, the National Revolutionary Army deployed four 2 cm German-made anti-aircraft guns with a range of 2 kilometers at Banpantang on the western bank. The bridge’s security was managed by a military police squad under tight protection. In the spring of 1940, as Japan escalated its invasion and carried out extensive bombings on China’s strategic rear, aiming to sever the supply routes of the Chinese Expeditionary Force headed to Burma and the Allied aid lines, 18 Japanese planes flew from Baise, Guangxi, and attacked Panjiang Bridge on May 14. They dropped 165 bombs and 2 incendiary bombs in seven raids. Thanks to the bridge's concealed position, the Japanese failed to find a vulnerable spot and missed their target, destroying only one nearby house. In early summer 1941, Japan launched the Pacific War and began intensifying bombings on Panjiang Bridge in order to forge a contiguous land route from Japan through China to Southeast Asia. From June 1 to 8, Japanese forces launched four aerial attacks involving 36 planes. On June 8, nine Japanese planes entered Panjiang Bridge airspace from Guangxi via Yunnan. Flying in formation at an altitude of 2 kilometers, they dived in a low-altitude approach from 6 kilometers upstream at Dapanjiang into the river valley to target the bridge. Evading the anti-aircraft defenses at Banpantang and with the bridge’s defensive machine gunners unable to return fire, the Japanese dropped 9 high-explosive bombs (weighing 300–500 pounds), completely destroying the bridge. The attacking planes then retreated the same way. Thereafter, the Japanese conducted several more bombing attempts. After the iron bridge was destroyed, a pontoon bridge was used as a temporary solution—three boats arranged in a row, with wooden planks laid across them, allowing people and vehicles to pass. In 1942, American military engineers were stationed by the Panjiang River to repair the bridge, constructing a chain-style suspension bridge. The surviving steel truss bridge still stands today, with stone piers that have remained solid despite decades of erosion. At both ends of the bridge, two tall, thick concrete watchtower bunkers shaped like cones stand as remnants of ancient Bell and Drum Towers. The bridge deck consists of 19 steel girders, topped with 128 wooden blocks approximately 20 cm thick, with two layers of wooden planks laid east-west for vehicle transit. The edges of the bridge deck are secured with two sturdy steel cables anchored to both banks. Notably, the steel rail beams, cable connectors, and rivets on the bridge remain tightly sealed, smooth, and rust-free despite 60 years of exposure. The engineering quality is outstanding. The bridge’s clear span was extended by 2 meters, and its load capacity increased by 10 tons. The connecting roads on both ends were expanded to double lanes. In the same year, to strengthen defenses, the National Revolutionary Army assigned the 10th Company of the 4th Battalion of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment to take over. During my visit, I met Shu Gang, the former defense company commander, who was visiting from Taiwan. Standing by the bridge, he explained that the original anti-aircraft defenses were oriented along the bridge’s east-west axis but proved ineffective against Japanese air raids. After analyzing the terrain, he realized that the steep cliffs made low-altitude attacks difficult, and attacking along the axis posed great risk to Japanese planes while offering little chance of hitting the bridge. So he redirected defenses to target the river valley downstream. With additional troops and artillery, the air defense was significantly improved, causing enemy planes not only to fail in their missions but also to be shot at and flee in panic.

In November 1949, the retreating 89th Army of the Nationalist Government’s Tenth Army Group attempted to destroy the iron bridge but failed, only managing to demolish a temporary bridge about 500 meters downstream—the piers of which still remain. After liberation, in 1950, the 2nd Company of the 145th Regiment, 49th Division, 17th Army of the People’s Liberation Army (commanded by Zhang Chengli) was stationed to guard Panjiang Bridge. In 1951, 1954, and 1959, the state allocated special funds for maintenance and reinforcement. During the Self-Defense Counterattack War in 1979, Panjiang Iron Bridge was designated a military stronghold and underwent another round of reinforcement and repairs to remain operational. All maintenance and reinforcement efforts preserved the post-American repair appearance.

In 1971, a new reinforced concrete wide-bellied double-curved arch bridge, 124.4 meters long with a clear width of 7+2+1 meters and a height of 26 meters, was constructed 1 kilometer upstream from the steel bridge. It was completed and opened to traffic in 1974. The original iron chain bridge was closed to traffic and is now listed as a county-level key cultural relic protection site.

Beside Panjiang Bridge, towering cliffs create a majestic and precipitous landscape. The two bridges resemble rainbows and dragons lying across the river, hugging the rocky banks. Standing at the steel bridge’s head and looking upstream, you see the river surging from the narrow valley, churning with silver waves and thunderous roars—truly, “Lofty ridges see no wild geese flying overhead, yet the startling waves boom like thunder from the earth.” The Panjiang Bridge river valley enjoys a pleasant climate. In spring and summer, willows sway in the breeze, trees display a riot of colors, green shades abound, and sugarcane forests sway gracefully. In golden autumn, yellow flowers bloom vibrantly on both banks. Even in the depths of winter, the area remains as mild as spring. On the cliffs of the ancient iron chain bridge ruins, numerous cliff inscriptions and carvings from ancient times can be found. On the western bank, there is a statue of Zhu Jiamin, the bridge builder dressed in official robes, and a legendary carving of the Daoist immortal Iron-Crutch Li, who is said to have magically built bridges. The carving of Iron-Crutch Li is surrounded by ceaseless incense offerings throughout the seasons. Xu Xiake, the famed traveler, once expressed deep admiration for the Panjiang Iron Bridge during his visit.