Q’eswachaca Bridge Festival
Camino a Q'eswachaca Bridge Festival Peru celebrates the annual rebuilding of the last Incan Rope Bridge over the Apurimac River at 11,800 feet above sea level in the middle of the Andes mountains. Over 3 days the old bridge is cut down and the new
bridge is rebuilt entirely by hand using traditional Incan methods and materials. The completion of the new bridge is then celebrated with traditional dance. The Q'eswachaka bridge, still keeps the alive
traditions of our inca ancestors and thanks to the commitment of the communities that surrounding this place still remains intact. This bridge is a wonderful piece of engineering and Inca culture, 'cause is a weave bridge on their integrity with vegetal fiber (straw) and is a important stretch of the Qhapaq Ñan, and has, approximately has over 500 years of existence. The Q'eswachaka bridge is a sample of the living tradition that so far with their rituals and community work, ayni, shows up that attracts the visitors to have the joy of living the still existing tangible and intangible culture of the Incas and continue to use this bridge. The Q'eswachaka bridge is located over the Apurimac river to 3 700 meters above the sea level in Qhehue district, Cusco region with a length approximately of 29 meters of long and 1.2 meters of width. This is the last bridge in their genre that still remains intact in the actuality, almost in their original state, whose tradition of renewal depended generation after generation of the surrounding communities by over 500 years. The renovation of the bridge is a tradition of the surrounding communities, and they perform a ritual since the time of the Incas. The renovation of the Q'eswachaca
Bridge Festival was declared as a Cultural
Heritage of the Nation. www.ollantaytambo.org
