02 Oct 2015
China's first glass suspension bridge offers daredevil tourists exciting new experience
BY Tom Anstey
The first glass suspension bridge in China has opened above a canyon in Hunan's Shiniuzhai National Geological Park, offering bold tourists a chance to cross a 180m (590ft) deep chasm between two cliffs.
Dubbed Haohan Qiao – Brave Men's Bridge – the 300m (984ft) long bridge was originally designed to be wooden before developers opted for a transparent glass floor 24mm thick, but 25 times stronger than usual. The glass bridge also incorporates a steel frame, ensuring safety even if the glass did break.
Plans for an even grander glass bridge are currently underway, with Israeli architecture firm Haim Dotan’s 380m (1,246ft) long Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge – the world’s highest and longest glass bridge – also coming to China. It has been designed to be as “invisible as possible” and is set to open later this year.
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