After lunch, we headed to The Three Natural Bridges (天生三桥), a centerpiece of the South China Karst UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest natural bridge cluster in Asia. Located within the Wulong Karst National Geology Park, this geological marvel consists of three colossal limestone arches spanning a single canyon.
Right at the entrance, we saw a massive, towering yellow and black Bumblebee. If you are not aware, this was one of the filming locations of the movie: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014). Director Michael Bay declared the landscape to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
Soon after we entered the site, we came to a glass viewing platform. Note that this requires additional fee but it was well worth it. Built directly onto the edge of a sheer cliff towering 280 meters (918 feet) above the canyon floor, this transparent shelf cantilevered out 28 meters. Walking across it gave us a dramatic, unobstructed bird's-eye view into the depths of the sinkholes.
Looking straight through the glass panels beneath our boots revealed a sheer, vertical 175-meter drop down to the dark green valley floor.
From here, we could look directly across at the upper crown of the massive Tianlong Bridge. We stayed on the platform for about 15 minutes admiring the breathtaking and panoramic views all around. Really amazing. The below photos cannot do enough justice to the natural beauty. You need to be there to see it for yourselves.
The entire complex is shaped by tectonic shifts and millions of years of underground water erosion from the Yangshui River. This process hollowed out giant underground caves until their ceilings collapsed, leaving behind massive sinkholes (天坑) separated by stone "bridges".
After stepping off the glass platform, we rejoined the main paved pedestrian trail. This path hugged the rugged, forested mountain edge. The tour route led us on a single, continuous descent towards the three towering structures beneath.
The trail ended directly at the glass-walled boarding terminal for the Tianlong Xuanting Elevator (天龙轩厅电梯). We boarded one of three double-decker, 360-degree panoramic glass lifts. The elevator car gently rotated as it dropped, giving everyone inside an unobstructed view of the cliffs. It travelled a vertical drop of 115 meters in just 60 seconds, whisking us from the mountain ridge down to the trail floor to begin our hike under the arches.
We took a short break after the descent and had some snacks & drinks.
There were several porters providing traditional sedan chair service (滑竿). The sedan chair is a simple, lightweight structure constructed primarily from thick local bamboo poles and a canvas woven seat hung in the middle. It is custom-designed for travelers with mobility difficulties, families traveling with young children, or anyone who wants to experience the canyon without navigating the steep, knee-straining steps.
Our journey on the valley floor began with a steep, winding stone staircase of over 300 steps cutting directly into the cliffside. The steps could be slick with mountain mist, so holding the moss-covered handrails was essential.
As we looked up the cliff, we saw the glass viewing platform where we were there just a while ago.
As we reached the bottom of the stairs, we were forced to look straight up. Soon we were standing directly beneath Tianlong Bridge (Sky Dragon - 天龙桥). The sheer scale was dizzying as the arch framed the sky like a giant, rugged window, and the rock face arched over us like the roof of a colossal cathedral.
It was the most complex structure in the site. As the first bridge along our tour route, Tianlong spanned an immense 147 meters in width. This massive stone barrier blocks out the sun, featuring two distinct natural piercing tunnels. The southern arch hole, named Ecstasy, sits 120 meters higher than its counterpart. Stepping through its deep shadow felt like crossing a threshold into a prehistoric world.
I saw everyone doing this (below), so I joined in the fun. :-)
After going through the tunnel, we were surprised to see ancient buildings in the middle of the sinkhole. Winding out from the shadow of the first bridge, the path opened up into the wide, sunlit Tianlong Sinkhole (天龙天坑). Nestled squarely on the valley floor was the Tianfu Official Posthouse (天福官驿).
Walking through its open wooden courtyard felt like stepping into a historical Chinese painting. We explored the ancient rooms, viewed old armor displays, and took photos of the sweeping, gray-tiled roofs framed by the 200-meter cliffs above.
This was another filming location of the Chinese movie Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) (满城尽带黄金甲). Directed by legendary Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou (张艺谋), this visually stunning historical epic utilized the site for its most iconic action sequence. Dozens of imperial assassins clad in black armor rappel simultaneously down the sheer 200-meter vertical cliffs into the Tianfu Official Posthouse to slaughter the residents. The courtyard station itself was actually meticulously rebuilt from historical blueprints by the production crew to serve as the film's set.
Just a short walk past the posthouse, the path led us directly to the life-sized Optimus Prime and Grimlock statue. Seeing the mechanical alien dinosaur standing amidst prehistoric ferns and ancient limestone peaks highlighted the surreal blend of Hollywood fiction and natural history.
Continuing down the paved trail, we entered the shadow of Qinglong Bridge (青龙桥).
This is the tallest natural stone bridge in the world which mimics a soaring dragon.
From certain angles on the path, the opening of the bridge perfectly resembled the shape of a traditional Chinese crescent-bladed halberd (关刀) cutting into the sky.
Along the path, we passed the Green Dragon Spring, where clear groundwater trickled down vibrant green, mossy rock faces, feeding into a small, crystal-clear stream that runs parallel to the walking trail.
Between Tianlong and Qinglong Bridges, we arrived at the Divine Eagle Sinkhole (神鹰天坑). The Divine Eagle is actually a massive, legendary natural optical illusion in the park.
The final stretch of the walk took us through Heilong Bridge (黑龙桥). This is the longest and darkest tunnel. As we walked through its belly, the ceiling was so wide and thick that daylight completely faded. The sound of our footsteps echoed against the damp stone, accompanied by the distinct roar of four hidden mountain springs (Mist Spring, Pearl Spring, Gorilla Spring, and Blue Dragon Spring) crashing through the dark.
After we exited the arch, we looked back upwards and saw another one of Wulong Karst's most famous natural optical illusions. It is a massive 200-meter-high stone cliff face shaped by nature to resemble a giant primate, which the locals frequently call it the "King Kong" of Wulong (武隆金刚).
Emerging from the black arch, the canyon began to narrow into a lush, jungle-like ravine. The path leveled out completely, flanking a tranquil emerald river lined with thick bamboo forests and wildflowers.
We took more than 2 hours to complete the entire walk. At the exit, we purchased tickets for the bus shuttle to bring us back to the assemble point at the top.
Below is the video capturing some highlights of this UNESCO site.
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