On September 20, 2015, an amazing glass bridge was opened in Zhangjiajie Park in the Chinese province of Hunan. Well, how can I say they opened, the bridge had been there for a long time. But, much like in the case of the Capilano Bridge in Canada, the old wooden and already dilapidated bridge was replaced with a modern glass structure.
Glass Bridge on the map
- geographical coordinates 29.046775, 110.481499 (though I’m not sure that the data is correct)
- distance from the capital of China Beijing is about 1330 km
- the distance to the nearest airport Henua in Zhangjiajie is approximately 15 km
The new bridge (like the old one) connects the two peaks of Stone Mountain Buddha and is located above the Pingyang Valley. Now the bridge serves not only to cross between the mountains, but is also a local landmark. Moreover, now the functions of the attraction are probably more important than others.
Glass bridge in numbers
- length 300 meters
- height 180 meters
- glass thickness 24 mm
The entire floor of the bridge is made of glass, the strength of which is 25 times higher than usual. The glass is double-layered and 24 mm thick, which makes walking over the abyss absolutely safe.
But the human instinct of self-preservation protests, and the vast majority of visitors have great difficulty forcing themselves to walk across the bridge. It’s extremely scary to walk practically on air, especially at such a height. The transparency of glass creates the illusion of airiness and fragility.
Having overcome your fears and fear of heights, you find yourself in an amazing place. Firstly, of course, there are beautiful views of the surrounding area, secondly, hundreds of meters of emptiness underfoot, and thirdly, unforgettable photographs as a keepsake. The feeling of walking through the air here will probably even surpass the feeling of being on the famous Five Fingers site in Austria.
It’s not for nothing that the glass bridge is also called the “hero’s bridge.” It takes remarkable courage to step on it. And to walk all 300 meters of it is generally heroic.
Trembling knees and tingling fingertips are normal. Almost all extreme sports enthusiasts who have visited the glass bridge, and even overcome it, have experienced similar feelings. True, some, not very heroic heroes, conquer the bridge on all fours.
If you still want to cross the bridge, but your brain stubbornly dissuades you, then specially trained people will come to your aid, ready to help you cross the bridge, and, if necessary, they will be able to provide moral and psychological support.
Streams of tourists flocked to this man-made landmark for both incredible photographs and adrenaline.
To prevent herds of travelers from trampling the glass panels of the bridge, they are given shoe covers. And this is correct, because not every cleaning lady will agree to wipe the glass on this bridge. Due to the incredible popularity of the glass bridge, the park administration limited the number of visitors to 10 thousand people per day. Up to 100 people can be on the bridge at the same time. 
There is a known case when visitors to the bridge were seriously frightened. On October 7, 2015, one of the tourists dropped a metal thermos onto the glass floor of the bridge, and the glass cracked. Those around us suffered a lot of fear, but no one was hurt. Everything ended well.
Glass bridge photo
The mountains of the Wulinshan Range and the town of Zhangjiajie, lost in them, have existed since time immemorial. But only recently, walks through places with surreal landscapes among these mountains have become especially popular among tourists.
This was facilitated by fantastic shots of soaring peaks depicting the planet Pandora in J. Cameron’s film “Avatar”, which were filmed in these very places. Curious tourists flocked to the Chinese province of Hunan, where on an area of almost 500 square meters. kilometers, the Zhangjiajie National Park is located. But, since the road to the reserve was not easy, the excitement gradually subsided. For the time being.
Grand Canyon Bridge, Zhangjiajie Park, Hunan Province
The second wave of tourist flow began in August 2016. It was then that an extreme attraction opened on the territory of the forest - a glass bridge over the gorge, hovering at a dizzying height above the ground and called the “Grand Canyon”.
Parameters of the Grand Canyon Bridge
Today it is. The parameters of the structure are impressive:
- height above the ground – 300 meters;
- the width of the pedestrian part of the bridge is 6 meters;
- passage length – 430 meters;
- design capacity – 8000 people per daylight hours;
- load-bearing capacity – up to 800 people at a time;
- construction material: 120 panels of 3-layer heavy-duty glass;
- additional attraction: the world's highest jumping platform, located under the central span of the bridge at an altitude of almost 270 meters above the ground.
Author of the bridge project
The author of the project is Israeli architect Haim Dotan, whose creations are well known in China. Being an adherent of the concept of merging architectural objects with nature, he came up with such a unique bridge, which, in his words, is intended to become not just “a jumper for moving from point A to point B,” but a natural scene with the illusion of floating in the clouds. In the future, it is planned not only to organize dance shows, but also to open an amphitheater with 3,000 seats at its final point for holding various kinds of shows.
Bridge safety
Fragility of the structure, of course, is illusory. The bridge went through rigorous testing for structural integrity, temperature endurance and wind resistance. Eyewitnesses say that to check the safety of the structure, they not only performed a crash test on it, but also allowed a heavy car to drive over the glass. The structure did not flinch. And now neither raging hurricanes, nor heavy precipitation, nor even the lively dances of several hundred stomping heels will destroy the glass bridge in . The photo demonstrates its strength.
But everyone can get their share of adrenaline from the bridge. A crystal path with a transparent bottom attracts daredevils from all over the world to take a walk over the abyss in the mountains. Having experienced pleasure hanging over the abyss, tourists rush to other corners of the park, fraught with passages through forests, rides on a cable car and a descent in a glass elevator from the mountain.
Twiddling Dragon Trail, Zhangjiajie Park, Hunan Province
And, if extreme glass over the abyss is not enough, then the Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve will offer crystal lovers another interesting trek. This time - over a cliff. By the way, it also opened to the public only in August 2016.
Walking along the undulating corridor, tightly adjacent to the Tianmen rock and repeating all its bends, you can get an unforgettable experience. To some they will seem like happiness at the edge of the clouds, to others fatal moments walking on the edge of an abyss. But no one will remain indifferent.
Bridge technical characteristics
Specifications this miracle is much more modest than that of the Grand Canyon. Although both glass bridges are located in the same park, they are the complete opposite of each other. Thus, the “Writhing Dragon” is 1.6 meters wide, the glass thickness is 6.5 cm, and the length of the passage is only about 100 meters. In the absence of a flow of people, you can even run these meters half-bent, if not for one “but”. The fact is that the “Dragon” hovers at an altitude of 1430 meters above the ground.
Feelings above the bottomless abyss
When entering the bridge even the most courageous begin to get goosebumps and dizziness from the bottomless abyss when looking down. There's no time for running! Somehow I would get there without incident, tenaciously holding on to the handrails. Those who are not afraid and walk across the bridge are not at all a long distance with a wide with open eyes, will be able to capture in their lenses frames of indescribable beauty, where peaks and gorges alternate with a mysterious haze, and the stone slopes of cliffs smoothly turn into green caps of peaks.
To ensure safe passage, all tourists are given special anti-slip shoe covers, which also serve as covers for dirty street shoes. This measure helps preserve the glass sidewalk transparent and clean for a long time.
Heroes' Bridge, Shinyuzhai Park, Hunan Province
The tour of the glass bridges of China will continue with another masterpiece of fragile architecture - the Bridge of Heroes, located in the Shinyuzhai National Geological Park in the same Hunan province, 46 km from the city of Pingyang and 112 km northeast of the provincial capital - Changsha.
This is an earlier example of bridge architecture. Was opened to the public in 2015. Old-timers say that this passage through the valley, connecting the two peaks of the mountain, existed before, but only in wooden form. That’s why it didn’t particularly tickle the nerves of pedestrians. But after reconstruction, when it was dressed in crystal, the suspension bridge became the number 1 attraction in the park. Still would! The parameters are serious:
- length – 300 meters;
- width – 1.5 meters;
- glass thickness – 24 mm;
- height above the ground – 180 meters;
- withstands temperature changes of up to 60 o C and wind speeds of up to 230 km per hour.
Many wanted to test their courage and “touch” the height of the 58-story building. Only here the house is not with reinforced concrete floors, but with glass floors from top to bottom! Bridge of Brave People - there is no other way to say it!
U-shaped bridge on Yuntai Mountain, Henan Province
This is another adrenaline trail that is very popular among tourists. Located in Henan Province. This is the same province that is famous for its grottoes near the city of Luoyang. But do not confuse it with Hunan, where the other three bridges described above are located.
The U-shaped passage that follows the contour of Yuntai Mountain in the Yuntai Mountain Range is a blood-stirring attraction. It received its first visitors in September 2015. But not even a month had passed since the opening day when the bridge showed its capricious character. While it was filled to capacity with people, a steel flask belonging to one of the tourists fell onto the glass surface. The floor under pedestrians' feet instantly covered with cracks. Fortunately, only the first layer of super-strong three-layer glass broke. Everything went well, but you can imagine the horror that gripped the people, because they were at an altitude of almost 1100 meters.
Since then, people are not allowed onto others and onto this glass bridge over the abyss with metal objects, and they are asked to take off their high-heeled shoes.
Fans of extreme sports and unusual types of entertainment should take a walk along the glass bridge in China. Made entirely of glass, it creates the impression of floating above the abyss - just look at your feet. There are similar structures in other countries of the world, but the Chinese bridge is the longest. Glass Bridge is located 180 meters above the Pingyang Valley and connects two mountain peaks.
However, a glass bridge is nothing new for China. Previously, they had already built a glass bridge that goes around Tianmen Mountain in national park Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
SO THERE ARE TWO GLASS BRIDGES? LET'S UNDERSTAND!
Glass Bridge on Tianmen Mountain built on the territory of China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which is located in Hunan Province. The length of the bridge is about 70 meters and it is located at an altitude of 1900 meters. The bridge goes around Tianmen Mountain and reaches Zhangjiajie Mountain, which provides an amazing view of the beauty of the natural park.
Glass Bridge on Tianmen Mountain
Glass bridge over Pingyang Valley is located at an altitude of 180 meters. Its length is about 300 meters, and it connects two mountain peaks. The sides and floor are made of especially durable three-layer glass, which is 25 times stronger than usual. Such a bridge will withstand any load - no matter how hard the tourists jump, engineers assure. Its design is resistant to temperature changes of 60 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of up to 220 km/h. However, even knowing about the reliability of the bridge, tourists who step on it are often afraid to look down. After all, an abyss opens up under your feet and it feels as if you are walking on air. That is why the attraction was nicknamed the “air trail”. The staff working near the bridge helps to overcome this path, of course laughing at the unlucky tourists stuck right in the middle of the bridge in a panic attack :) Are you feeling weak?
Glass bridge over the Pingyang Valley.
ZHANGJIAJIE NATIONAL FOREST PARK
Independent travelers will find it easy to find this park on world maps:
What else to see in Zhangjiajie National Park?
Certainly, national park Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is famous not only for its glass bridge. This is one of the most beautiful parks in China, which has been under the protection of UNESCO since the late 90s. The local nature not only captivated thousands of tourists from all over the world, but also became a source of inspiration for the award-winning director James Cameron. He specially came here to admire the stone pillars, which eventually became the prototype of the floating mountains in the acclaimed film “Avatar”.
In addition to the stone pillars and glass path, Zhangjiajie Park has many attractions that deserve attention:
1. Mountains. They are especially beautiful in the morning when they are covered with a thick layer of fog.
2. The staircase to Huanshi Mountain is 3800 steps high, leading to the aerial path.
3. Elevator "Hundred Dragons". The highest altitude lift in the world, lifting tourists 330 meters above the ground. Its transparent walls and ceiling provide views of all local attractions.
4. The cable car to Mount Tianji, stretching 7445 m, is the highest and longest in the whole world.
5. "Heavenly Highway" 11 km of dangerous mountain serpentine with more than 100 sharp turns.
6. A network of caves, including the four-level Yellow Lion Cave at an altitude of over 1000 m.
OPENING SCHEDULE AND PRICES
You can walk along the glass bridge on Tianmen Mountain every day from 7:00 to 18:00 - at this time the last cable car leaves for the bridge. But you can enter Zhangjiajie Park itself later; if you wish, you can even stay in the national park for the night, staying in one of the hotels located there.
Price entrance ticket to the park depends on age and social status visitor:
1. An adult 3-day pass costs 248 yuan, including insurance - 3 yuan.
2. For students under 24 years old and children under 1.2 m tall, a three-day pass will cost 163 yuan. Young people must show a student ID to receive a discount. If it does not indicate the date of birth, you must additionally present your passport.
3. Special benefits are provided to disabled people of groups I and II, war veterans and military personnel, as well as pensioners over 70 years of age. The cost of a three-day pass for these categories of visitors is 68 yuan.
The ticket price includes: entrance to the park and travel around the territory on regular buses. Elevators, funiculars, trams, cave tours are paid separately.
In addition, at the entrance to the park it is recommended to buy a map, without which it will be difficult to navigate the large area. Its cost is 5 yuan.
According to our readers (Andrew): 300m bridge over Pingyang Valley is not located within the park, it is a separate Tianji Mountain and a ticket for this mountain is purchased separately and costs another 270 yuan.
Glass Bridge on Tianmen Mountain
HOW TO GET THERE
BY PLANE
There are two small towns near Zhangjiajie Nature Park - Zhangjiajie And Wulingyuan. You can get to them by plane from any large city: Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, but it is cheaper and faster to fly from Shanghai.
BY TRAIN
From any smaller city in central China it is cheaper to travel by train. True, you will have to go through several connections.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
In addition, Zhangjiajie town can be reached by bus from Changshi and Fnghuang, which are located relatively nearby.
Once you reach Zhangjiajie or Wulingyuan, you should take a bus to the park. It departs from the bus station and takes about 1 hour. Ticket price is about 12 yuan. The bus will arrive at the bus station, from which you will need to walk a few minutes to the entrance to the national park.
TAXI
More comfortable and quick way- a taxi, which will cost 100-200 yuan, but will deliver you exactly to your destination. The only negative is that Chinese taxi drivers do not speak English, which can create difficulties when explaining where to go. It is better to have a booklet with you with the name of the park or show it on the screen of your smartphone to avoid misunderstandings with the driver. Also, be sure to make sure that the taxi driver turns on the meter, otherwise a dishonest driver will try to deceive you.
Before your trip, you can check the cost of tickets from Shanghai to Zhangjiajie (Dayong Airport) on Skyscanner.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE GLASS BRIDGE
1. Few cleaners are willing to clean glass after every tourist. Therefore, to keep it clean and transparent, when entering the bridge, visitors are asked to wear special fabric shoe covers.
2. In order to follow the air path, you need a strong nervous system. There are times when tourists faint from fear. Therefore, another name for the bridge is “trail of horror.”
3. Specially trained employees are on duty at the entrance to the glass bridge, who help particularly impressionable visitors cross to the other side. People often panic when they cannot see the floor under their feet, and in this case, moral support comes in handy.
4. Since the side of the bridge is also glass, tourists try to walk, clinging to the rock. However, this turns out to be problematic: the glass bridge is quite slippery, and the person begins to slide, which adds to the extreme.
A glass bridge is not only beautiful, but also stylish. The Chinese decided so and built an unusual glass structure in Hunan province. After the construction of the bridge, it was used to connect the two sides of the mountains, and also played pranks on many tourists.
Bridge Features
This bridge is considered the longest structure on the planet made of glass. Its length is 430 meters. And the width is 6 meters. The bridge is suspended at an altitude of 380 meters. Also, this design is safe and equipped with last word technology.
The glass bridge project and its construction cost China $3.4 million. The bridge consists of 99 durable and three-layer parts. Below the bridge lies a national park and canyon. For now, excursions at the site are being conducted in test mode.
Tourist draws
Immediately after the opening, a funny incident occurred on the extraordinary bridge. The guide, who was leading the group through the glass structure, suddenly fell to his knees and screamed heart-rendingly, and a visual effect of cracked glass appeared under his feet. The tourists were taken aback, but then relaxed a little, because a passer-by was calmly walking along the bridge in their direction.
A glass bridge in China cracked under the feet of tourists (video)
It turned out that the bridge is equipped with interactive panels that create the effect of cracks and also reproduce the sound of breaking glass necessary for the prank. These are the kind of entertainers the Chinese are.
Visit to the bridge
8,000 people can look at the bridge and walk along it per day. Before opening, the structure was tested for strength more than 100 times. The opening of the attraction took place in 2016. At first, people were on duty near the ticket office in front of the bridge at night to buy tickets for the excursion.
Now everyone has become accustomed to the new miracle of engineering, and the excitement around it has died down a little. 800 people can cross the bridge at the same time. But for security reasons, the capacity was reduced to 600. After all, the bridge itself is guarded by about 200 guards.
The facility is open to visitors from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. It often happens that by 8 am all tickets for the glass bridge are already sold out, so it’s worth planning a tour of it in advance.
The ticket price is approximately 140 yuan. A child whose height is less than 1 meter and 30 centimeters can enter for free.
How to get to the glass bridge?
The city with the bridge is located in the southwest of Beijing. You can get there by train. You will have to get off the train at Zhangjiajie station. It is also possible to fly to this place from Beijing by plane.
The canyon, over which a glass bridge hangs, is located a 15-minute drive from the city. The best way to get there is by car, which is easy to rent.
In the south of China, another creepy glass bridge has opened over a cliff, along which only the bravest and bravest tourists walk along the cliff to the mountainside rugged with caves.
The bridge, called "Writhing Dragon", which leads to Tianmen Mountain, opened to the public on August 1. The length of the glass path is 100 meters, the width is just over one and a half meters. Tourists can see a truly dizzying view of the valley on the other side of the mountain range. The bridge hangs at an altitude of 1500 meters above the ground. This is the third such bridge on the same mountain. More recently, it was an ordinary wooden path.
This mountainous area is very popular among tourists due to its incredible natural scenery, as well as a relatively new attraction - glass bridges.
The photographs show how the first visitors to the opened bridge carefully walk along the mountain, holding on to the wall, some trying not to look down through the transparent floor and over the railings.
The first glass bridge in the mountains of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park opened in November 2011 and has since attracted tourists who want to experience what it's like to walk on the very edge of the abyss. The glass floor was then only 2.5 inches (6 cm) thick, and visitors were visibly nervous when they stepped on it.
The second glass bridge across the canyon in the national park opened in May of this year. It reportedly cost approximately $3.5 million to build.
For those who want a more intense sensation, here you can bungee jump into the abyss.
Glass bridges are now a popular trend in China. Usually local authorities they are perceived as an opportunity to increase the influx of tourists. These ambitious projects typically involve bridges, bluff paths, or observation decks.
Below are the five most popular glass bottom designs in China.
The observation deck with a glass floor is located on the territory of the famous Shilin stone forest, 70 kilometers from Beijing. Its height is 400 meters above the ground, and its area is 415 square meters. It opened in May 2016.
The glass bridge, 300 meters above Zhangjiajie Canyon in Hunan Province, was scheduled to open in July 2016. Its length is 430 meters, height is about 300 meters.
"Hero's Bridge" lies 180 meters above the ground and is located in Shinyuzhai National Park in Hunan Province. It opened last fall.
The 260-meter-long Yuntai Mountain Trail passes at an altitude of more than 1,000 meters above the ground. It was also opened in September 2015.
The Yunduan Glass Observation Deck is located more than 700 meters above the ground. It opened in the summer of 2015.
Here is a short video about how tourists manage to walk across such bridges. Spoiler alert: they're a little worried.