This Glass Bridge in China Is for People Who Love Stomach-churning Heights

The world’s second longest glass-bottomed bridge opened to the public in China in July 2020, spanning 1,726 feet across the Lianjiang River in southern China’s Huangchuan Three Gorges Scenic Area. The bridge dangles about 660 feet above the river, providing a memorable walk across for those brave enough to step onto its glassy footpath.

The bridge was designed by the Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University as a tourist attraction for the area, and includes a few expansions for platforms, about 28 feet wide, where tourists can pause for photographs as they make their way across the terrifying glass walkway.

The glass bottom is composed of three layers of tempered laminated glass about 1.7 inches (4.5 centimeters) thick. It’s designed to be completely see-through, giving visitors the sensation of walking hundreds of feet above the flowing river, where boats may be passing through as you cross.

The bridge is capable of accommodating up to 500 guests at a time, according to Dezeen. Its guardrails are made of stainless steel and the bridge towers and main cables are a shocking red that pop against the greenery of the gorges.

The bridge was completed in early 2020 and was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest glass-bottomed bridge in the world in July of that year. Its title was only recently taken by the Bach Long (White Dragon) pedestrian bridge in Son La, Vietnam, which became the new world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in May 2022, at 2,073 feet long.

There are more than 2,300 glass bridges in China, according to the BBC, and new projects are constantly jockeying for the titles of biggest, longest, and scariest. In 2016, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge became the longest glass bridge in the world at 1,411 feet, although it closed two weeks after its opening after being overwhelmed with visitors. In 2017, the Hongyagu suspension bridge took the title of longest and most terrifying — it was designed to swing as people walk across it, adding a gut-churning element of fear to the 1,600-foot-long bridge.