Perched 102 meters above the Sicha River, Renziqiao Bridge hides a dark past. Built by Chinese labourers and a forgotten group of Italians, it claimed hundreds of lives. Today, its story whispers through Yunnan’s mountains, a haunting tribute to sacrifice, ambition, and human endurance.
In the mist-shrouded mountains of Yunnan, the Renziqiao Bridge stretches across a 65-meter-wide gorge, its steel arches forming the shape of the Chinese character ren (人), meaning “person.” Completed in 1908 under French colonial rule, the bridge was part of a railway project to funnel resources from China’s southwest to French Indochina. But its construction came at a staggering human cost: an estimated 800 Chinese workers died building the 65-meter span—roughly 12 lives lost for every meter of track laid.
The workers, many from Yunnan and coastal provinces like Fujian and Zhejiang, faced gruelling conditions. They hauled 50-pound steel rails and 77-pound sleepers up steep cliffs, braving rockslides, malaria, and frigid winters. A French newspaper described the work as a “dance above death,” a phrase now etched into a plaque at the site. Yet, the story of the bridge isn’t just about Chinese labourers.
Hidden in its history is the role of Italian workers from Marchirolo, a village near Varese, who were brought in for their expertise in steelwork. These men, far from home, lent their skills to the project, and many were eventually lost to the same dangers that claimed Chinese lives.
Engineering Marvels and Human Tragedy
The Renziqiao Bridge was quite unique. French engineer Paul Borden created a method of lowering steel trusses from either side of the gorge until they met in the middle, forming a V-shaped arch. At the time, The Times ranked it among the world’s three greatest engineering wonders, alongside the Suez and Panama Canals. But behind this triumph lay suffering. Workers balanced on rickety scaffolding without safety harnesses while dynamite blasts triggered deadly rockfalls.
The Italian contribution, though less documented, was pivotal. Skilled in metallurgy, the Marchirolo team helped shape the bridge’s intricate steel framework. Their expertise didn’t shield them from tragedy: several died during construction, and most of their names now faded from memory.
The bridge became a symbol of colonial exploitation, as France extracted tin and other resources from Yunnan (particularly from the Mengzi area) and shipped them to Vietnam’s Hai Phong port.
Forgotten Voices: The Italian Workers of Marchirolo
In the shadow of the bridge’s legacy lies a lesser-known story. In 1903, a group of Italian laborers from Marchirolo—a town known for its ironworkers—joined the project. Recruited for their technical skills, they worked alongside Chinese laborers to assemble the bridge’s steel components. Letters home, preserved in local archives, reveal their awe at the landscape and despair at the conditions.
Particularly interesting is the diary written by Busti Carlo, found in the archives of the Marchirolo City Hall.
These are a few snippets from his letters:
February 17, 1904
Sleepless and painful night; heavy rain has been pouring down since midnight. My entire straw hut is flooded. The bed is soaked. It’s cold, and my blankets are drenched with water. Patience, strength, and courage. I can get out of bed and take a few steps. My foot is swollen in an extraordinary way.
My dear children, today is my birthday. I turn 37 years old today—one year more and one year less. Nonetheless, courage and let us trust in God. Whoever trusts in Him will have peace, well-being, and eternal life. It is He who tests us, He who punishes us for our sins, and He who rewards us for our good deeds.
From here, from these distant lands, today, my thoughts run to my beloved family and my dear departed ones, and I pray more fervently. And although I am ill, I don’t know why—I feel well, I feel light and strong.
Some of his entries are actually very interesting since they provide a unique perspective from a person who came from a small village in Italy and witnessed for the first time the customs of people who had never seen any foreigners.
On February 16, for example, he talked about the Tea Festival, which is actually called the Lantern Festival (I’m not really sure why he called it this way):
February 16, 1904
…No inhabitant of the Celestial Empire celebrates for less than 15 days of revelry, indulging in both lawful and unlawful entertainments, the wildest extravagances…
…In all the small villages, public theatrical performances are held. These are scandalous performances…This festival, however, claims many lives. Indigestion and drunkenness cause numerous deaths. Others fall victim to knives and coup-coups, and many more to the not-so-gentle swords of the police—due to brawls, fires, and injuries.
Those who die from overeating or drunkenness are considered fortunate because they believe that Buddha grants them the grace of calling them to the eternal kingdom of joy and love while his festival is being celebrated. These poor souls, lacking both sense and heart, compete to see who can eat and drink the most until they perish.
A Catholic missionary once told me that in a village of about 3,000 inhabitants, not far from Lan-Gam, on the fourth day of last year’s festival, 128 Chinese had died from cerebral congestion…
These diaries are also quite entertaining: sometimes sad, scary, hilarious, and gossipy. In one entry, the French labourers even started chanting against the employer:
March 4, 1904:
Good weather. Praise be to God. Natalino (the employer and contractor) is still absent. The French employees have started singing a few verses of their composition. They have titled it La Balade des Impliques (The Song of the Exploited). The first part goes like this:
“Natalino told me, I’ll give you the good life – you mustn’t click your heels, you must leave Paris.
II° – Come then to Yunnan – there you’ll drink champagne – there you’ll find beautiful women – there it will be paradise.
III° – But I see, however, that they are all lies – of what Bozzolo told me- there is nothing good here- other than some thik fog and dampness.
IX° – So much for promising us champagne – and every comfort – Here, champagne is the water of the Nou-Ty – And the food, though outrageously expensive, is pure garbage.
XI° – For the poor proletarian who came here to build a railway in this wretched country and under this murderous and thieving enterprise…“
The song may not be entirely appropriate for a business venture, but it is the pure truth—the true portrait of this most ill-fated expedition. Some are already predicting Natalino’s complete failure, and those who have suffered the most wish it upon him. As for me, I remain in my stable—damp, foul-smelling, and disgusting. But enough, let us endure with patience.
One of the last visible memories of this incredible story is this washed painting in the small village of Marchirolo.
A few attempts have been made to find some of Carlo Busti’s descendants and his workmates, but none have been successful so far.
If you happen to know more about this story, please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram.
From Colonial Tool to Cultural Icon
After its completion, the railway became a lifeline during World War II, ferrying supplies until Japan seized control in 1940. Post-1949, China nationalized the line, and it remained vital for freight until passenger service ended in 2005.
Today, Renziqiao has become a tourist attraction, thanks to the latest trend of Chinese people looking for less crowded places and thus rediscovering forgotten places in the country.
In 2007, locals relocated to a “traditional” Miao village constructed near the bridge, selling handicrafts and sharing stories of the railway’s past.
The trek to Renziqiao in Pingbian (屏边) is quite scenic. You can walk along the railway tracks since only one freight train passes daily. You can also walk inside a few tunnels as you imagine how tough it must have been to carve the mountains manually over 120 years ago.
Parts of the railway in other areas have become fully developed tourist attractions, especially near Jiangshui and Kunming.
Vinetree Yunnan-Vietnam Railway Tented Resort
The Yunnan-Vietnam Railway Tented Resort offers a unique stay if you want to fully immerse yourself in the history of the railway’s construction. Nestled on the former Italian settlement site, this Glamping site blends historical memories with modern comfort.
The tents are incredibly beautiful and modelled after workers’ quarters. You can join guided hikes to the bridge and nearby tunnels.
If you want to book a stay there, contact them directly ([email protected]) and mention my name (Fabio) for a discount.
Despite their contributions, the Italians’ role was mostly omitted from official records. Today, only fragments remain: a few names in payroll logs and a faded photograph of European workers posing near the tracks.
Their settlement, a makeshift hut near the bridge, now lies in ruins. Yet their memory lives on at the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway Tented Resort, built on the site of their former camp.
Remember to get a VPN or an eSIM if you plan to travel to China. If you want to read other interesting stories like this one, check out this page. If you want a comprehensive travel guide to China, check this article.
In this article, you will find my travel guide to the Samaba rice terraces, another incredibly beautiful place in Yunnan, where you’ll find another Vinetree resort.
In this article, I talked about crossing the Yunnan-Vietnam border on foot.
