Mr. Wang continued driving along the Dadu River towards Luding on this not-so-good road…View image. The Chinese Government is amping up construction on a fantastic new highway that will take three more years to complete. They are tunneling through mountains…View image… (we drove through one that was 7km/4+mi long but in the meantime, drivers have to contend with constant landslides, especially in rainy season. One landslide took place three days ago with four people dead, 11 missing and 150 still unaccounted for. It’s common for landslides to wipe out entire villages along this road. Not at all reassuring!

Entering large Luding (pop: 80,000), a modern city, was a huge shock in contrast to the small towns and villages over the last two weeks. The Kham Tibetan area was left behind and going forward, the remaining towns would consist of at least 85% Han. People were selling watermelons from a truck…View image, playing cards…View image, and one picturesque group of older people in Chinese blue clothes carrying on a lengthy conversation…View image.

new highway being built along the Dadu River, China 

Chinese locals from the countryside, Luding 

Chinese local farmer in Luding
Luding is famous for its Luding Bridge, built under the reign of Emperor Kang Xi of the Qing Dynasty. The suspension bridge consists of 13 heavy iron chains with wooden boards lashed over the chains to provide the way across. The Luding Bridge is also renowned for what is commonly regarded as the most glorious moment of The Long March.

photograph showing Luding Bridge with chains only, China
Mr. Wang parked the car in a indoor garage while ex-Marine and I stood outside a hotel waiting. A big wedding…View image… was taking place in the hotel while the decorated wedding car stood outside…View image. When they reappeared, we walked down the street towards the Luding Bridge to pay the admission while a line of people dressed as Red Guards marched towards us.

approaching the Luding Bridge over the Dadu River, China 

Red Guard ceremony in Luding, China
In 1935, Biao’s troops reached the bridge only to discover that the National Army had removed the planks and left just the chains. The story goes that a small volunteer force crawled over the bare iron chains while under heavy machine-gun fire from the opposition. It is almost a sacrilege for any tourist, let alone a Chinese tourist, to visit Luding and not pay the entrance fee to walk across the swinging bridge.

Sheila as a non-threatening Mao Red Guard, Luding, China
Pay the admission and then look at the different opportunities for tourists. It’s only $1.00 to dress up as one of Mao’s comrades or a Chinese Princess (been there…done that…Jinci Si Temple) for photographs. Yep. Such a deal that I couldn’t refuse. They stuffed me into a Mao jacket (I am bigger then the average Chinese woman)…View image, strapped on a gun belt, hung a canteen around neck, plopped a Mao hat on head, handed me a fake rifle and pistol…View image… and thus adorned, I went to stand on the very swingy, suspension bridge…View image…for photographs. I think there were more Chinese tourists taking photos of the curly-haired Mao-attired westerner than ex-Marine. Definitely a star and fun. I used to think this was too hokey to do but it is worth a million laughs for you and the locals. Just do it!

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