Charming Chongqing ⑦: Wulong Tiankeng & Tiansheng Three Bridges – One of the Most Beautiful Places on Earth

At three in the afternoon on July 3, 2021, we drove back from Fairy Mountain National Forest Park and, half an hour later, checked into a guesthouse in Fairy Mountain Subdistrict. The plan was, the next morning, to take a scenic shuttle bus to the Wulong Tiankeng & Tiansheng Three Bridges scenic area.

Fairy Mountain Subdistrict lies on the hillside between Fairy Mountain and Wulong county town. The moment I saw it, I felt as if I had been whisked away to the Mediterranean in Europe.

At the heart of the little town runs the spacious Ginkgo Avenue, lined with ginkgo trees on both sides. Along the street were fairy-tale-like little villas, brimming with European charm.

A closer look, however, revealed many villas standing empty, their purple outer walls peeling, and once-tended flowerbeds now choked with weeds — a stark contrast to the "National Hygienic Town" plaque.

The tourist centre is right in Fairy Mountain Subdistrict. Travellers heading for Fairy Mountain National Forest Park, Tiansheng Three Bridges or Longshuixia Ground Fissure all change here for scenic shuttle buses. So both sides of the main street are packed with guesthouses and eateries, creating a bustling, lively scene.

On almost every restaurant sign, the words "Feichang Yu" (tripe fish) were displayed in huge letters, as if to say, "You haven't really been to Fairy Mountain if you haven't tried tripe fish."

Was it a fish called tripe, or tripe and fish cooked together? A question formed in my mind. A quick internet search told me that it's a famous local dish made with pig's large and small intestines plus black carp, far more numbing and spicy than boiled fish in chilli sauce. Chongqing people clearly love it, but we didn't dare sample it — the flavour felt way too intense for us.

On the morning of July 4, we walked into the Fairy Mountain Tourist Centre and boarded a coach. About half an hour later, we arrived at the Wulong Tiankeng & Tiansheng Three Bridges scenic area.

A mountain is a bridge, and a bridge is a mountain. Bridges link sinkholes, sinkholes link bridges, caves breed caves. Three mountains create three bridges, and three bridges stand upon three mountains. Tiansheng Three Bridges consists of Tianlong Bridge, Qinglong Bridge and Heilong Bridge — majestic, awe-inspiring and the undisputed No.1 in the world.

The three bridges run parallel, spanning the Yangshuihe Valley and joining the mountain slopes on either side, creating the extraordinary sight of "three bridges clasping two tiankeng". To find three colossal natural stone arch bridges and two huge collapse sinkholes within just a few hundred metres is rare in China and unique on earth — a precious gift from nature to humankind.

If Fairy Mountain National Forest Park still had its detractors, Tiansheng Three Bridges wins praise from almost everyone.

There are two ways to descend into the tiankeng. One is via the sightseeing elevator on the left, which takes you straight to the bottom without backtracking; the downside is a long wait. The other is to walk downhill on the right, saving you the lengthy queue and the elevator fee, but it's harder on your shoes and means you have to retrace your steps.

We didn't mind a bit of shoe leather and decided to walk in. But after my wife asked around, we discovered the admission ticket already included the sightseeing elevator. Wouldn't it be a waste not to use it? Fine then, queue we would — we had the time.

Down the steps we went; a few minutes later we joined the waiting crowd. There were indeed many people wanting the elevator, but it moved at a decent pace. Within an hour we were inside.

Stepping out of the elevator, I couldn't help but gasp. Looking back up, I saw that the elevator was built on a sheer cliff, over 70 metres high. Not quite as breathtaking as Zhangjiajie’s "Heaven's Ladder", but still thrilling enough.

Down on the sinkhole floor, everything you see is in its natural state. Apart from the two sightseeing elevators, there isn't the slightest trace of man.

A short walk and we came upon the first natural bridge spanning the Yangshuihe Valley — Tianlong Bridge, also called Toudao Bridge. It soars 235 metres high and is 150 metres thick. Gazing up, it's staggeringly huge and solid, grand and magnificent. The deep places seemed deeper, the high places higher, while all around only the steady drip-drip of water could be heard.

Beneath Tianlong Bridge, two natural pierced openings have formed. The south opening is called Mihun Cave (Enchanting Cave), its walls etched with countless fractures, hollows and dissolution pores left by flowing water. The north opening is a simple arch. Together, one pier and two openings resemble a hand-hewn bridge — an overwhelming sight.

Passing through the opening under Tianlong Bridge, we kept descending. Leaving the dripping cave mouth behind, we entered the Tianlong Tiankeng. This is a cross-shaped sinkhole with a mouth 522 metres in diameter, enclosed by Tianlong Bridge, Qinglong Bridge and the surrounding cliffs. The walls rise high on all sides, plunging more than 200 metres; a path cuts right through it. In the middle of the sinkhole stands a quaint, ancient-style building: the Tianfu Courier Station.

Built of wood in classic style, with grey-tiled roofs and upturned flying eaves, it’s formed by two adjoining courtyards making a rectangular layout. The roof is overshadowed by the immense abyss beneath Tianlong Bridge, surrounded by jagged rocks and dark green brush — an atmosphere both forbidding and chilling.

It turned out that this was the exclusive Wulong filming location for director Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower. The scene where assassins leap down the cliff to hunt the imperial physician was shot here. Standing in the courtyard, if you close your eyes, you can almost hear the ringing clang of swords and spears.

The courier station was originally built during the Tang dynasty, a vital post for official communications between Fouzhou and Qianzhou, later destroyed by war. The present Tianfu Courier Station was reconstructed by Zhang Yimou in 2005 for his film. Charmed by the place's ancient mystery and secluded surroundings, he chose it for the grand finale and the most spectacular fight scenes of Curse of the Golden Flower.

Such an undertaking, however, inevitably damaged the natural ecology and reportedly earned a reprimand from the national environmental protection authorities. Still, what's done is done, and the building has actually survived quite well — at least it feels harmonious with its surroundings. Otherwise, the promotional photos wouldn't feature it as a backdrop. Though the house is only sixteen or seventeen years old, it looks centuries old.

Apart from Curse of the Golden Flower, the Hollywood movie Transformers: Age of Extinction also shot scenes at Tiansheng Three Bridges. Director Michael Bay praised it as "one of the most beautiful places on Earth." There are no other filming records; the scenic area probably closed its doors to film crews to protect the environment.

On the southern cliff of Tianlong Tiankeng, a clear stream cascades down through limestone fissures, forming a lovely karst waterfall. The greenish-yellow water gathers in a small pool below, murmuring softly. If this outlet were much higher, I thought, the sinkhole might have become a sky lake.

While I kept looking back at Tianlong Bridge, Qinglong Bridge suddenly loomed ahead. Qinglong Bridge, the second natural bridge over the Yangshuihe Valley, is also called Zhonglong Bridge. Its name comes from the way after rain a waterfall pours down and catches the sunlight, creating a rainbow like a green dragon soaring skyward.

The bridge is 281 metres high and 168 metres thick, making it the tallest natural karst bridge on earth. Looking up from underneath, the arch is vast and the cliffs stand towering. On the ceiling, a series of collapse scars form a curved, parallel pattern, revealing how the tiankeng and natural bridges formed and evolved.

The opening below Qinglong Bridge is shaped like a giant broadsword, blade and hilt so vivid you can't miss it — most striking when reflected in the lake, much like Guan Yu's legendary Green Dragon Crescent Blade. This view is named "Broadsword Reflection". Scenic staff take photos of visitors here; you can pick up a keyring with your picture for free at the exit, though a larger print will cost you 20 yuan.

Qinglong Bridge and the surrounding cliffs create a rectangular tiankeng. High on its rim is a rock formation that resembles an eagle spreading its wings and peering down, hence the name "Divine Eagle Tiankeng".

A few steps farther, look back at Qinglong Bridge and it morphs into a leaping carp, with a round, pouting mouth and a gently curved body — a vivid scene called "Carp Leaping over the Dragon Gate".

Heilong Bridge is the last natural bridge downstream in the Yangshuihe Valley. The name is ancient. This bridge has a higher, narrower, thicker arch and even curves inside. Because the dark, deep arch feels like a black dragon winding overhead, it earned this name. The bridge is 223 metres high and 107 metres thick. Its northern wall is adorned with four hanging springs — Mist Spring, Pearl Spring, Thread Spring and Triplicate Spring — each with its own distinct character.

Walking deep into Heilong Bridge and looking up, you can spot a thin, misty waterfall tumbling down from above. The flow is less than a water tap; without looking closely you'd never notice it. This must be the so-called Mist Spring — the water seems both there and not there, making you feel as though you're in a fairy realm of jade pools.

I imagined how unspeakably beautiful it would be in the wet season: all around, flying cascades and trickling springs humming softly, while the river rushed and swirled, its waves singing in full voice. What a poetic, picture-perfect scene that would be.

High on the rock wall of Heilong Bridge, there's a suggestive formation with deep-set eyes and a distinct facial outline, looking just like the giant gorilla from the American movie King Kong.

After exiting Heilong Bridge, another spring gushes noisily from the cliffside — this is called Longquan Cave (Dragon Spring Cave). The many springs and waterfalls of the Three Bridges area create plentiful surface runoff on the valley floor. A man-made dam holds back the outflow, forming a medium-sized pool where koi carp swim leisurely, peaceful and harmonious.

Thinking back over Tiansheng Three Bridges: Tianlong Bridge, Qinglong Bridge and Heilong Bridge all exceed 200 metres in height, claiming the world’s top three spots. The total distance from the first to the last is less than one kilometre. Wondrous natural features weave a perfect landscape scroll. Standing here, you forget all worldly cares. Aside from marvelling at the Creator's stunning craftsmanship, I could find no better words to describe this utterly unique and magical scenery.

So how did these natural bridges and tiankeng form? Originally, a subterranean river flowed through the massive limestone beds. As the land rose and the riverbed cut deeper, huge underground caves developed along the watercourse. One unknown year, the cave ceilings underwent extensive collapse. The debris was carried away by the current, leaving behind the Tianlong Tiankeng and the Divine Eagle Tiankeng; the remnants became Tiansheng Three Bridges.

Leaving Longquan Cave behind, the exit was still 1.5 kilometres away. You could take a sightseeing car for 15 yuan per person or walk for about 20 minutes. Tired as we were, we chose to walk.

The mountain path wound steadily upwards. Before we knew it, we had climbed out of the sinkhole and back onto flat ground. The first thing we saw was one barbecue stall after another.

After quickly swallowing a few grilled sausages stuffed with Sichuan pepper, we set off for the next attraction. Having savoured the grandeur of the tiankeng, we were curious to see what a ground fissure looked like.