Naihe Bridge

The underworld crossing

Naihe Bridge carries souls over the perilous Nai River. Stories turn the crossing into a test of moral character: a safe passage for some, a terrifying obstacle for others. Journey to the West gives a striking literary description, while other accounts divide travelers between bridges of different materials. These arrangements are not uniform.

A bridge built from many traditions

Tang and Song supernatural tales, Dunhuang images, funeral bridge-crossing rituals, and later fiction all contributed to its history. The spellings Nai River Bridge and Naihe Bridge also invite different popular explanations. Its now-familiar partnership with Granny Meng and her soup developed over time; it should not be projected unchanged into every early account. Real-world bridges and ritual paper structures give the crossing local physical forms. Their location within a complete underworld itinerary varies from one tradition to another.