Fairy Bridge (Xianren) largest natural bridge in the world, located in China

 

This is the largest natural bridge in the world and it's located in China. Fairy Bridge is the translation for the Chinese name of Xianren, which means "eternal people." How that became "fairy" we don't know. It is estimated to have a span of 580' 8.5" (177 meters), height to the top of the span of  475' 9" (145 meters), height to the underside of the span of 219'10"  (67 meters), thickness of 255' 11" (78 meters), and width of 63' 7" (19.4 meters). We rode on a powered bamboo raft that could accommodate about 25 people down the river to go under the bridge to the other side, where we took this photo. Then, we went back upstream under the bridge again to return to our starting point. The bridge forms a low roof over that part of the river. We saw a bat on our way back. 

Canon EOS 6D Mark II - 23 mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/100 sec., f/5

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Getu River Bridge, China

 

This is the Getu River Natural Bridge, within the Getu River National Park. We were surprised to see a building and a vending machine when we got here after climbing 1900 steps. We followed the Getu River through a large opening on a pathway fixed to the side of the cliff. After crossing the river on a bridge, we could see the river disappear into a cave. Then, it was a long stairway and series of switchbacks we had to hike to reach the top, where this natural bridge was located.

The Chinese name for this feature is the Getuhe Dachuandong, Getu = sacred place of peach blossoms, he = river, Da = big, chuan = river, dong = cave. So put it together, we get Getu River big river cave.

Samsung a52, 5.2 mm (24 mm equivalent), f/1.8, 1/474 sec, ISO 25

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Zhijin Natural Arch #2, China

 We were hoping to see the second-largest natural bridge in the world at Zhijin County, China. It's in an established park that's referred to as the Zhijin Grand Canyon, but storms that struck before we arrived damaged the road, so the park was closed. Someone who knew the area wanted to make sure our group didn't leave the area without seeing some natural arches, so she led us to two arches in the same drainage as the one we were hoping to see, but farther upslope. We had to hike to a large arch, then go under it to see this even larger, taller arch. We were standing under one of the supports for this arch to photograph it. It was the only safe place where we could do so.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II, ISO 100, f/4.5, 1/80 sec., 17 mm

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Jinpen Natural Bridge, China, highest natural bridge with a road over it

 

This is Jinpen Natural Bridge in China. It is regarded as the highest natural bridge in the world that has a road crossing over it. The road connects two villages. The bridge is 135 meters (442 feet, 11 inches) high, has a 60-meter (196 feet, 10 inches) span, is 15 meters (49 feet, 2.5 inches) thick at the top, and has a 30-meter (98 feet, 5 inches) road surface on top. 

Unfortunately, we had overcast skies and would've preferred blue sky for the background. After seeing it from this viewpoint, our tour guide took us to the road that crosses over the natural bridge so that we could hike to the bridge and cross over it. There were cars on the road, but our tour bus wasn't allowed on it.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II, ISO 1600, f22, 1/45 sec., 105 mm focal length

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Jiu Dong Tian Caves, Arch in China

 

On our visit to China, we toured the Jiu Dong Tian Cave system by boat. We had to take a tour bus down the river, hike down the river to a bridge, cross over, then take another tour bus down the other side of the river, then hike down into a cave before boarding boats to continue on through the caves. We went under this huge arch as part of the hike down to the dock. For size comparison, you can see a picnic table with a red umbrella and people standing under it. After emerging from the cave, there was another dock where others could go on the tour by going upstream. Normally, we would've continued farther down river and taken another tour bus back, but recent storms caused damage downstream, so we ended up going back through the cave a second time by traveling upstream to the original dock.

The Chinese word for cave is "dong." The Chinese word for window is "tian." So where Americans might call this feature a natural arch, the Chinese often call these features a "cave window."

Canon EOS 6D Mark II, 46 mm, f22, 1/45 sec, ISO 1600

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Dachuandong Arch, near Si Lian, China, 4th largest arch in the world

 

In Guizhou Province, near the village of Si Lian, is a series of sinkholes and arches. There are actually 4 arches, but we only saw the second and third ones as they are the largest. When we visited this area, a local tourism official insisted on showing us the way and accompanying us with a couple of staff members. The reason for his action is that he wanted to show the government that people are visiting these features, and there should be investments in infrastructure to accommodate more visitors. His staff members recorded him speaking about the need for investments and pointing to our group of American tourists traveling all the way here to see how special this area is. It was also good that he guided us, because we encountered very narrow roads. He posted the videos on social media, and our guide was recognized when we checked into our hotel later that same day. The video had gone viral.

The third arch was the largest. Its span of 300 feet (91.4 meters) makes it the 4th largest arch in the world. We had to hike through the second arch to get to it. The name means "big cave with a window". The Chinese, instead of using the term "natural arch" or "natural bridge," seem to prefer using their words for "heaven's gate" or "cave with window" to describe these geologic features. We were told that this particular area was used in the past for making gunpowder. Maybe it was considered a dangerous undertaking, so those engaged in the manufacture of gunpowder had to keep well away from everyone else.

Samsung a52, 5.2 mm (24mm equivalent 35mm), f/1.8, Auto ISO

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Qingxudong Arch, near Dafang, China, 7th largest in the world

 

Qingxudong Arch has been measured by laser rangefinder to have a span of 251 feet (76.5 meters) and a height of 246 feet (75 meters). That happened in 2015 by Natural Arch and Bridge Society member Gunter Welz. We used our own laser ruler when we visited on May 19, 2026, and basically confirmed those numbers. This arch had plenty of visitors and cars, vans, and even a small motorhome parked underneath. It's located near the village of Yang Chang Ba in Guizhou Province, China. In terms of span, the Qing Xu Dong Arch is considered the 7th-largest arch in the world. There's a small stream flowing under it. Beyond the arch, the stream curves into a cave and ends up going underground. It's very spectacular. The Chinese word dong translates to "cave" Instead of calling these features "natural arch", the Chinese tend to use either "heaven's gate" or "cave with window."

Coordinates where the photograph was taken: 27.10285° N., 105.6703° E.

Samsung a52, 1/216 sec, 1.7mm (13mm in 35mm equivalent),  f2.2, ISO Auto

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Yunmentun Natural Bridge in China, 16th Largest in the World

 

We went on a trip to China to view 9 of the world's largest natural arches and natural bridges starting May 17, 2026. This was the first one we saw on this trip, it is number 16 on the list. Instead of calling these features "arches", the Chinese seem to prefer using the term "gate", as that is the translation for the "men" part of the name Yunmentun. Altogether it translates as Cloud Gate Village. It's been measured at 213 feet (65 meters) for its span. We rode in a boat upstream on the Yongshui River, viewed the bridge from the river side, then went under the bridge to a dock along this tributary.

Samsung a52 Phone camera: ISO 25, 1/313 sec, f1.8, focal length 5.2mm, (24mm equivalent)

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.