The Luding Bridge is an icon of the Chinese Communist Revolution and site of the most famous event during the legendary Long March, when the Red Army fled Fujian, eluded their Nationalist pursuers and managed to regroup in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province.

The small battle over the bridge between Communist Forces and local warlords ostensibly in the employ of the Nationalists ended in a decisive victory for the Red Army. The bridge gave the Communists a river-crossing and just enough time to slip away from the Nationalists and head north into Shaanxi.

The bridge itself (like most heroic figures) looks much to small to be part of a legend. It is a simple iron chain and wood bridge crossing the Dadu River 80km north of Ya'an City on the way to Kangding. There is a small museum at the far bridgehead, but other than a few photos, the place seems to have been stuck in time since 1935.

The village goes on with daily modern Chinese life and most tourists come, take a few pictures and leave in less than one hour. The town of Luding itself has little that any other town in China doesn't have.

If you are taking the bus from Ya'an to Kangding (about 8 hours) then ask the driver ahead of time if he will stop and wait for a bit at Luding. Most buses do not. But if he agrees, or choose to travel in tour, then the short walk down to the river, across the bridge and back in time is a worthwhile break from the bus.

Sichuan guide | Chengdu guide | Chengdu flights | Chengdu hotels Chengdu tours & activities  | Chengdu on the China Travel Blog