The Three Natural Bridges () are a series of natural limestone bridges located in Xiannüshan Town (), Wulong District, Chongqing Municipality, China. They lie within the Wulong Karst National Geology Park, itself a part of the South China Karst-Wulong Karst UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Chinese, the bridges are all named after dragons, namely Tianlong () Qinglong () and Heilong ().
Description
Spanning the Yangshui River, a tributary of the Wu River, the bridges are at the centre of a conservation area which also includes:
Qinglong Tiankeng (青龙天坑); Shenying Tiankeng (神鹰天坑); Yangshui River Karst Canyon (羊水河喀斯特峡谷); Longshui Gorge (龙水峡地缝); Central Shiyuan Tiankeng (中石院天坑); Lower Shiyuan Tiankeng (下石院天坑); Seventy-two Branch Cave (七十二岔洞); Longquan Cave (龙泉洞); Immortal Cave (仙人洞); Hidden Monkey Stream (猴子坨伏流); Hidden Baiguo Stream (白果伏流).
Given that the distance between the upper end of the Tianlong Bridge and the lower end of the Heilong Bridge is only , these are not the longest natural bridges. Between the bridges lie the Qinglong and Shenying tiankengs which have a depth of 276–285 metres and a circumference of 300–522 metres.
Dimensions HeightThicknessWidthClearanceSpan Tianlong Bridge (天龙桥) Qinglong Bridge (青龙桥) Heilong Bridge (黑龙桥)
See also Wulong Karst Furong Cave Xueyu Cave Tianmen Mountain
References
External links
Wonders of Nature: Wulong National Geological Park China: Three Natural Bridges National Geopark