Nu River Bridge, Railroad bridge in Yunnan Province, China
The Nu River Bridge is a railroad bridge in Yunnan Province, China, carrying the Dali-Ruili railway line across the deep gorge of the Nu River. It uses a steel arch design that spans the river in a single sweep from one side of the valley to the other.
Construction of the bridge started in 2016 as part of a broader effort to extend rail connections into the more remote parts of Yunnan. The terrain, with its steep slopes and deep river valley, made the project technically demanding from the start.
The bridge crosses a deep river gorge and is part of a rail line that brings remote villages in Yunnan closer to larger towns. Passengers traveling by train get a view of the valley that is otherwise hard to reach on foot.
The bridge is only accessible by train on the Dali-Ruili line and is not open to pedestrians or road traffic. The best view of the structure comes naturally during the train journey as it crosses the valley.
The main steel arch span measures 490 meters, making it one of the longest single arch spans on a railroad bridge in China. Despite this scale, most travelers experience the crossing in just a few seconds as the train moves through the valley.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
