Mike does not make a mistake of 58 Km. (The distance between Shaxi and Yanbi is 108 Km and 50 Km south of Shaxi is about half way)
Tongjing Bridge is in a completely different valley so no way.
The trail to Burma, known as well as Southern Silk Road passes Yangbi there known as the Bonan trail. It crosses the Yunlong Bridge in Yangbi.
I don’t know which bridge Mike is referring to 50 Km south of Shaxi. In that area I found some metal suspension bridges of which the longest has a span of 102 metres.
The book “Ancient Bridges In Yunnan” does not point out a famous bridge in that area either but I know there are more bridges than in that book but not that many.

Good points, Lemon. And, yea, Yunlong bridge, not Yangbi bridge (although its in Yangbi), you are right.

Ive travelled that road several times as well, and cant think of any specific bridge there, thats why the Tongjing came to mind. Anyway, this just smalltalk, no rocket science.

PS. Edgar Snow called it once "Saints Road" according to a legend an Indian Saint walked up that trail and along his footsteps a road was made.

HFCAMPO .

Jiang Chuan county, Lian Tie Xiang (town), 50 km directly south of Shaxi.

The bridge is hard to find as it's far from the main road, down into terraced feilds.
i can send you a GE KMZ file..

Peter99.

Trade roads were never a fixed to a single trail, the trail varied it's path depending on items needed or sold; although the most important reason trade routes varied their trail is the land's geography.

The trail on the west side of Can Shan is an easier route. If the caravan needed to go into Dali they had to climb an additional 600meters in elevation.

South of Yangbi is the interscection of the southern silk road( burma trail) and the tea/horse trail which is an ideal spot to collect tax.

In this section of valley from Yangbi to Shaxi there are many roadside temples which are not maintained.

BTW.....
This North/south route never crosses a mountain range from Hanoi to Lijiang and further north towards Lhasa ..

The Bridge with visible damage from the 2012 earthquake..

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Jiang Chuan county, Lian Tie Xiang (town).

Thanks Mike, these pictures are just fine. Thanks for the details.

Nice little bridge. Will have a look at it next time I pass.

Now someone dig out the story of that bridge. Thats a palace over a ditch. Maybe it was designed by a local artist who wanted to become an imperial bridge builder.

Anyway, probably about "face" and the village had money. What was the crop? Poppy? Opium road is a nice name too. The old bridge on the tea and opium trail. By the way, where they grow corn now down from San Ta, used to be vast opium fields, not too long ago. Xizhou was opium money too.

@Mike

"South of Yangbi is the interscection of the southern silk road( burma trail) and the tea/horse trail which is an ideal spot to collect tax."

True, but Xiaguan was a larger intersection.

From one thing to another, southern silk road, is also a recent invention in terminology. As a term, probably not older than 30 years, thats a wild guess.

@ Peter99

I agree that names of routes are as vague as the trails but in general they serve a purpose.

If anyone wishes to come see the said bridge i can show them personally.

Once in Lian Tie village I can drive you to the bridge and other small temples dotting the trail following the valley.

Hi Mike,

I tried to pass it but when I asked around in Baishuichang they told me it was some 25 Km up the road to Shaxi. I was coming down the Misha River Valley and on the way to Liantiexiang and since it was getting later I didn’t go up.
The day before I found two likewise bridges in side valleys of the Pi River but both rather obscured by vegetation and not as nicely free standing as yours.
BTW I think I passed the place you are flying from on the road between Liantie and Eryuan at N25-59-55 E99-51-14 with an orange windsock.