Panjiang Iron Chain Bridge

　　The Panjiang Iron Chain Bridge is situated at the Beipan River crossing, where Guanling and Qinglong counties in Guizhou Province meet. Towering cliffs flank the river, which cuts through the landscape with steep cliffs and deep gorges. It was once an essential route from Guizhou to Yunnan in ancient times. The two banks are about 80 meters apart, with rapid currents flowing between them. Pedestrians could cross one after another — an improvement over previous methods. Ancient trees on both shores cast dense shade, while stone steles stand upright, and distant palace-like structures loom ethereally amid brilliant reflections. Earlier generations regarded this as a scenic marvel in central Guizhou, described as “a golden chain stretching across the Milky Way, and a hundred-foot crimson tower spanning a rainbow-hued phoenix.”