Tiansheng Bridge (Lishui)

A bridge "naturally" made by carving through rock over the man-made Yanzhi River canal in the Ming Hongwu era (built in 1393, the only surviving stone-bridge marvel on a man-made canal in Jiangnan); boat rides on the Yanzhi River. In 1393, to connect grain shipping between the Qinhuai River and Shijiu Lake, Zhu Yuanzhang had workers roast the rock and douse it with vinegar, cutting through more than ten li of the Yanzhi ridge to create the Yanzhi River; the stretch where a giant boulder spans the water, leaving a natural opening, is called "Tiansheng Bridge" — the only surviving stone-bridge wonder on a man-made canal in Jiangnan. Steep ochre-red cliffs tower on both banks of a deep gorge; a boat ride through it gives a close-up sense of the engineering miracle of "carving a river out of rock" six hundred years ago. The river glows rouge-red against the Danxia-colored cliffs, making the scenery instantly recognizable.

Getting there: Bus from Lishui / self-drive