The Three Natural Bridges () are a series of natural

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

bridges located in Xiannüshan Town (),

Wulong District Wulong District () is a district of Chongqing Municipality, China, bordering Guizhou province to the south. Administration Climate Education There is a central elementary school in Baiyun Town. Transportation The district is served by C ...

Chongqing Municipality Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Counc ...

, China. They lie within the Wulong Karst National Geology Park, itself a part of the

South China Karst The South China Karst (), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2007, spans the provinces of Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It is noted for its karst features and landscapes as well as rich biodiversity. The site comprises seven clust ...

Wulong Karst The Wulong Karst () is a karst landscape located within the borders of Wulong District, Chongqing Municipality, People's Republic of China. It is divided into three areas containing the Three Natural Bridges, the Qingkou Tiankeng (箐口天坑) and ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. In Chinese, the bridges are all named after

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

, namely

Tianlong Tianlong (; lit. "heavenly dragon") is a flying dragon in Chinese mythology, a star in Chinese astrology, and a proper name. Word The term ''tianlong'' combines ''tian'' "heaven" and ''long'' "dragon". Since ''tian'' literally means "heaven; th ...

() 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. However, they are the only such group of

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

structures in the world. 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

References

External links

Wonders of Nature: Wulong National Geological Park
{{Chongqing Natural arches of China Karst formations of China Landforms of Chongqing Limestone formations Tourist attractions in Chongqing World Heritage Sites in China

Description

Dimensions

See also

References

External links