TARGET 130123

The Dragon Bridge
to
The Island of the Three Immortals

^{The Dragon Bridge to the Island of the Three Immortals
(Don't expect to drive across it)}
The eastern coastline of Taiwan is renowned for its natural beauty. Unspoiled beaches stretch for miles and at one point, Sansiantai, there is a wonderful surprise. A beautiful arched bridge, meant to resemble a dragon of Chinese legend, stretches from the mainland across to a group of small islands.


^{The bridge leads out to a famous island}

Sansiantai is, as you might imagine, saturated in folklore. The three enormous rocks making up the island's most conspicuous feature long ago gave rise to a native myth that three of China's Eight Immortals once chose the island for a place to rest. Even the name of the island translates to the Terrace of the Three Immortals.


^{The bridge and island from the air.}

Lu Tung-pin, Iron Crutch Li, and He Xian-gu were the names of these three great sages. After they had taken their rest they left three footprints. These are the three massive rocks that dominate the small uninhabited island. The island was once connected by a neck of land to the rest of Taiwan but over the millennia this wore away and a bridge was built to let people visit the island.


^{Walking the bridge - it's bigger than it looks.}

The striking arched bridge that connects the island to the mainland was only built in 1987 – before that anyone without a boat wishing to visit the island had to wait till low tide and could wade across.


^{There are eight arches - one for each of the Immortals}

The bridge’s eight arches, gently undulating, capture the rhythm of a Chinese dragon as it traverses the space between land and island. It is known locally as The Eight Leaped Bridge. It is reminiscent of the architecture of ancient Chinese temples, indicating that this is a place which should be revered by those who visit.


^{Visitors are few because of the long journey to get there.}

The bridge and island are locally very famous and many tourists come to take in the views and enjoy the pristine natural surroundings. However, situated in the relatively isolated county of Taitung (which has a population of little more than a quarter of a million), the place is never overwhelmed with visitors.



^{Every step up and down is different}

Since the angle constantly changes as you go from rise to rise, the risers for every step on the up and down slopes is at a different height. The areas at the high and low points are curved to match the curve of the bridge. Walking across the bridge is therefore not a very easy trek.

Although it looks idyllic, this area of Taiwan is known for its typhoons and high winds. As the bridge is truly exposed to the elements so too are those upon it. Often the winds can be so harsh that people err on the side of caution and chose not to cross the bridge, rather than risk being blown over its side.

Despite the occasional typhoon, Sansiantai is famed and praised for its azure seas and rich, diverse wildlife. Little wonder it is known as Taiwan’s Last Paradise.

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