Luding Bridge 泸定桥

About Luding Bridge

Nine chains support the deck and four form the side rails, so the structure is easy to understand from the riverbank before stepping onto it. Qing-style bridgehead pavilions mark the ends, and an inscribed stone at the eastern end records its imperial name. The bridge’s later Long March association is interpreted separately in the local memorial museum.

Construction began in the 44th year of the Kangxi era (1705) and finished in the 45th year (1706). The bridge was built to strengthen the route linking Sichuan with the Kangqu (康区) and Weizang (卫藏) regions, replacing bamboo and rattan cable crossings and three nearby ferries used to cross the fast-flowing Dadu River (大渡河). Because it was commissioned by the Kangxi Emperor, it was also called the “imperial bridge” (皇桥), known locally as the “iron chain bridge” (铁索桥).

The bridge has a span of 101.6 meters and a width of 2.8 meters, with its deck about 14.5 meters above the river at low water. Each chain is 127.45 meters long, weighs about 2.5 tons and is made of 800 to 900 flat iron rings. The stone piers at each end stand 20 meters high, anchored behind by cast-iron piles set in 6-meter-deep wells.

The site was declared a first-batch Sichuan historical and revolutionary cultural relic protection unit on 16 August 1956 and listed among the first batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) on 4 March 1961. In 1950 a new steel-cable bridge was built north of the town, as part of the Sichuan-Tibet highway, ending its role as the area's key crossing; the structure was renovated in 1977.

What to look for

• The iron-chain structure and wooden deck can be seen from the riverbank.
• Bridgehead pavilions and the eastern inscribed stone add architectural detail to the crossing.

Location & getting there

Getting to Luding Bridge

Approach the bridge in Luqiao town, central Luding, on the Dadu River. The eastern bridgehead is a useful town-side arrival point; follow the controlled visitor access for the bridge itself.