Overview
The Naihe Bridge (奈何桥) spans the River of Oblivion (忘川, Wang Chuan) in the Chinese underworld. It marks the final stage of a soul's underworld journey: the crossing point between punishment and rebirth. The name "Naihe" (奈何) translates roughly to "what can be done?" or "helpless," conveying the inevitability of the crossing.
Three-level structure
The bridge has three tiers, determined by the soul's karma:
Upper level Virtuous souls cross easily. The path appears broad and safe.
Middle level Souls with mixed karma walk carefully, facing challenges and obstacles.
Lower level Evil souls encounter a slippery path obstructed by copper snakes and iron dogs (铜蛇铁狗) that try to push them off.
The River of Oblivion
Below the bridge flows the Wang Chuan (忘川): the River of Oblivion. The river "flows from hell and its flow is of blood and smells of rot." Souls unable to cross who fall into the river experience terrible suffering and, according to tradition, "will never be able to reincarnate again." The living burn paper boats as offerings to allow trapped souls an alternate passage.
In poetry, the bridge is described as "many miles long, and only three fingers wide." At the far end stands Meng Po, who forces each soul to drink her soup of forgetfulness before they can cross into their next life.
Game potential
The Naihe Bridge is one of the most visually striking locations in Chinese underworld mythology. A narrow bridge over a river of blood, with copper snakes and iron dogs attacking sinful souls, a three-tier karmic test, and Meng Po waiting at the far end, it reads like a game level designed by the mythology itself. For Black Myth: Zhong Kui, it could serve as a set piece, a boss arena, or a narrative threshold between story acts.