The completion of China’s latest glass bridge, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge designed by Haim Dotan Architects, has been delayed, but thrill-seekers won’t mind the wait. Vice General Manager Joe Chen of the Zhangjiajie Canyon Tourism Management Co. confirmed to Inhabitat the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Bridge will include not one swing, but three. He also hinted when the bridge could open.
The giant swing will be the longest in Asia, if not the world. New Zealand’s Nevis Swing, which markets itself as the biggest in the world, has a rope length of 120 meters, and is 160 meters higher than the canyon floor.
China’s record-breaking glass bridge closes due to ‘overwhelming demand’
Visitors hoping to walk on the world’s highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge will have to hold their breath.
The record-breaking structure hanging over China’s Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon has closed Friday, just 13 days after it opened to the public on August 20.
“We’re overwhelmed by the volume of visitors,” a spokesperson from the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon’s marketing and sales department told CNN, explaining that the bridge was the main draw of the canyon.
He added that the capacity of the glass bridge was limited to 8,000 visitors per day, but total demand was 10 times as much.
The famous bridge also brought renewed interest to other scenic spots in the area.
When asked if the bridge was cracked or broken, the spokesperson said “there was no problem.” He also confirmed there have been no accidents.
The 6-meter-wide bridge stretches 430 meters over a 300-meter-deep valley between two cliffs in the stunning Zhangjiajie Park, said to have inspired the scenery for the sci-fi movie “Avatar.”
China’s record-breaking glass bridge
The attraction’s management made the announcement Thursday on its official Weibo account, a Chinese microblogging site.
It didn’t say when it might reopen and apologized for the inconvenience caused.
The Weibo statement says that due to the “urgency to improve and update” the facility, the government decided to suspend operations on September 2.
The park officials had suggested September 5 as a closing date, to accommodate travel agencies who “have already included the Grand Canyon and the glass bridge into their itineraries.”
Glass-Bridge-In-China
There are lots of bridges in this world but some are known for being just more than a structure that connects us to another place. There are all types of bridges around the world, but in China, there is one that has already set a number of records. We’re talking about the Zhangjiajie glass-bottom bridge, which hasn’t been opened to the public. The bridge, located in China’s Zhangjiajie National Park, connects two cliffs and was supposed to open to the public in June. But the opening date was reportedly pushed back due to rainfall.
The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon bridge has caught the attention of the world by setting a number of records. Here are ten interesting facts about the glass bridge:
The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass bridge is not only the world’s longest but also the highest.
The bridge won’t be just about crossing from one point to another, it also has a bungee jump, which is also a record holder.
The bridge is 375 meters long, 6 meters wide and is 300 meters above the floor of the canyon.
What’s the capacity of the bridge? 800 people at a time. That’s a lot of people, especially for a bridge that has glass panels as its floor.
The transparent glass floor raised some questions about its safety but park officials have proven a few times that the glass won’t break. How? Tourists were recently invited and given sledgehammers to hit the glass repeatedly.
The glass cracked during the visit from tourists but that’s OK according to park officials because it will never break into pieces.
The safety of the glass floor is something that many people are worried about, so park officials proved again that the glass won’t break. This time, they drove an SUV over the glass panels.
The cost of the world’s longest and highest bridge was approximately $39 million.
The bridge is located in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which has an area of 11,900 acres.
The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass bridge will be open to public this month and up to 800 visitors will be able to walk on the bridge. The bridge could also be used as a runway for fashion shows and yoga sessions, which have already taken place in other glass bridges in the country.
The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass bridge is a record setting structure that will attract thousands of tourists when it opens soon.
More info: westchinago.com
zhangjiajie glass bridge
