QueshuachacaThe name gets spelled very differently, mostly with the first element varying between and the second between . The first element is often confused with Quechua ''qichwa'' 'temperate valley; Quechua (people or language)', which is variously spelled , among others. (from Cuzco Quechua ''q’ichwa chaka'' 'straw-rope bridge', ) is the last remaining Inca rope bridge, consisting of grass ropes that span the

Apurímac River The Apurímac River ( ; , ; from Quechua ''apu'' 'chief' and ''rimaq'' 'the one who speaks, oracle', thus 'the chief oracle') rises from glacial meltwater of the ridge of the Mismi, a mountain in the Arequipa Province in the south-western mo ...

near Huinchiri, in Quehue District, Canas Province,

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

."The Last Incan Grass Bridge"
Joshua Foer, February 22, 2011, slate.com Even though there is a modern bridge nearby, the residents of the region keep the ancient tradition and skills alive by renewing the bridge annually, during the second week of June. Several family groups from the communities of Chaupibanda, Choccayhua, Huinchiri and Collana Quehue, have each prepared a number of grass-ropes to be formed into cables at the site, others prepare mats for decking, and the reconstruction is a communal effort. In ancient times the effort would have been a form of tax (

Mit'a Mit'a () was a system of mandatory labor service in the Inca Empire, as well as in Spain's empire in the Americas. Its close relative, the regionally mandatory Minka is still in use in Quechua communities today and known as in Spanish. ''Mit ...

), with participants expected to perform the rebuilding; nowadays the builders have indicated that effort is performed to honor their ancestors and the

Pachamama Pachamama is a goddess revered by the Indigenous peoples of the Andes. In Inca mythology she is an " Earth Mother" type goddess, Dransart, Penny. (1992) "Pachamama: The Inka Earth Mother of the Long Sweeping Garment." ''Dress and Gender: Makin ...

(Earth Mother). The event has also been supported by video productions for

Nova A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...

and the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and is the subject of an independent documentary titled ''The Last Bridge Master'' (in-production, 2014). It is becoming a minor tourist attraction, with some small tolls charged for tourists to use the road during the festival to walk the newly completed bridge. In 2009 the government recognized the bridge and its maintenance as part of the cultural heritage of Peru, and there is now some outside sponsorship.(automated translation)
of http://globedia.com/inc-declara-patrimonio-cultural-inmaterial-puente-eswachaka-cusco The lead bridge engineer was Victoriano Arizapana.

Damages

Due to a lack of maintenance during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in 2020 and early 2021, the bridge collapsed in March 2021. In the following weeks the bridge was rebuilt. The bridge fell again on the early morning of May 17, 2025 as result of a vandalic act by unknown persons, which led the Calca Prosecutor's Office to investigate and to be restored once again.

Renewing the bridge

File:Inka suspension bridge Qeswachaka DSC 2730.jpg, The Q'eswachaka bridge File:IRB-1-OldBridgeSags-keshwa3h.jpg, File:IRB-9-NewBridgeComplete-keshwa-2.jpg, File:IRB-2-BuildersGather-KC603-pol.jpg, File:IRB-3-LayingOutRopeStrands-KC603-2.jpg, File:IRB-4-StrandsAcrossGorge-IRBKC603-1.jpg, File:IRB-5-LashingSides-KC603-4.jpg, File:IRB-6-BringingDeckMat-KC603-8.jpg, File:IRB-8-NewBridgeSideView-KC603-11.jpg, File:IRB-7-MUDDY2.jpg,

Notes

References

External links

The Bridge at Q’eswachaka - YouTube
(duration—3:15; produced by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

)
The Inca Grass Bridge of Q'eswachaka
(ARTE.tv Culture) {{Coord, 14.3814, S, 71.4840, W, type:landmark, display=title Annual events in Peru Bridges in Peru Buildings and structures in the Department of Cusco Inca June Culture of Peru Recycling in Peru Cultural heritage of Peru