Queshuachaca is the last remaining Inca rope bridge located near Huinchiri, in Quehue District, Canas Province, Peru. Queshuachaca is also spelled Keshwa Chaca, Q'iswa Chaca, Keswachaka, Q'eshwachaka, Q'eswachaka, Queshuachaca, or Queswachaka.
The bridge consists of grass ropes that span the Apurimac River near Huinchiri, in Canas Province.
Inca rope bridges were constructed by the Inca Empire over canyons, gorges, and rivers (pongos). These were integral parts of the Inca road system and provided useful transportation for the Inca as they did not use wheeled transport, limiting their traffic to pedestrians and livestock. Chasqui runners also used these bridges to deliver messages throughout the Inca Empire. The bridges were constructed using ichu grass, which was woven into large bundles that were very strong. To maintain the bridge's strength and reliability, each cable was replaced by local farmers every year as part of their mit'a obligations. There have been many fatalities associated with the repair of these bridges.
Families cut and twist straws into about 70-meter-long thin ropes. Two bridge-builders then guide the process of making them together into medium-sized ropes, which are twisted together to make six great ropes. The bridges are constructed by tying the ropes tightly to ancient stone bases. The craftspeople then lead the weaving process, starting from opposite ends. Once the bridges are finished, the community holds a celebration festival. While there is a modern bridge in the area, the people in the area keep ancient skills and traditions alive by renewing the bridge every June. Family groups have gathered grass ropes from various locations on the site and will form them into cables. Others will prepare mats for decking, and the whole process of reconstruction will be a community effort.
However, the Quechua-speaking peasant communities of Huinchiri, Chaupibanda, Choccayhua, and Ccollana Quehue use it as a means to strengthen their social links and not simply as a transportation route. It is also considered sacred, symbolizing the connection between the communities to nature, tradition, and history. Some ritual ceremonies are included to mark the annual renewal. Even though it lasts just three days, the renewal has a lasting impact on the participating communities. It develops communication, strengthens centuries-old bonds, and renews their cultural identity.
Anciently, this effort would have been viewed as a tax, and participants would have been forced into rebuilding. Today, it is recognized as a way to honor their ancestors and to give thanks to Mother Earth. Today the community still transmits weaving methods from generation to generation to keep this tradition alive.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/knowledge-skills-and-rituals-related-to-the-annual-renewal-of-the-qeswachaka-bridge-00594) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_rope_bridge) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queshuachaca) |Subject=Belief, Ritual |Country=Peru |SDG=(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}