China’s ‘bendy’ glass bridge that’s so extraordinary some didn’t believe it was real
Would YOU cross it? The double-deck ‘bendy’ glass bridge in China that’s so extraordinary some didn’t believe it was real
- The incredible Ruyi Bridge is 328ft long (100m) and spans the Shenxianju valley in China’s Zhejiang province
- The crossing consists of three undulating bridges and part of its deck is made from transparent glass
- Since images of it emerged on social media, many have declared they’d never have the courage to cross it
For some, this is a bridge too far.
These pictures show a double-deck glass bridge in China with a mind-boggling undulating design that is just too scary for some people.
When video footage and pictures of the structure – called the Ruyi Bridge – emerged on social media channels some users said they’d never have the courage to set foot on it. And some were so incredulous they declared that the bridge, which sits 459ft (140m) above a ravine, was fake.
The Ruyi Bridge, pictured, is a double-deck glass bridge in China with a mind-boggling design that is just too scary for some people
After seeing drone footage of the bridge on Twitter, Dan Grassi wrote: ‘If this is real there would be a location (lon/lat), so I call it fake.’
And after seeing a clip of the crossing on YouTube, ‘oceans’ demanded: ‘[The] latitude and longitude of this “bridge” or it didn’t happen.’
Posting a video of the bridge, astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield joked on Twitter: ‘I’d want better handrails.’ In reply, Coleen said: ‘And an adult diaper changing station at either end.’
The bridge is 328ft long (100m) and spans the Shenxianju valley in Zhejiang province
The crossing actually consists of three undulating bridges and part of its deck is made from transparent glass
The bridge was designed by He Yunchang, a steel structure expert who was also involved in the design of Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium for the 2008 Olympics
Wyn on Twitter wrote: ‘I’d want a lot of persuasion and a harness.’
While Paul De Rego added: ‘Architecturally beautiful! Functional and artistic! Love it!’
The bridge, which is 328ft long (100m) and spans the Shenxianju valley in Zhejiang province, actually consists of three undulating bridges and part of its deck is made from transparent glass, reports Zhejiang China.
Posting a video of the bridge, astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield joked on Twitter: ‘I’d want better handrails’
Since its opening last September, more than 200,000 people have visited the bridge
It’s called the Ruyi Bridge as it has been designed to look like a jade ruyi – a ceremonial spectre that is a symbol of good fortune in China.
According to Arquitectura Viva, the bridge was designed by He Yunchang, a steel structure expert who was also involved in the design of Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium for the 2008 Olympics.
Since its opening last September, more than 200,000 people have visited the bridge and it has become one of the area’s biggest attractions.
Some of China’s other scary bridges…
The Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge
The Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China’s central Hunan province. It is suspended 300 metres (984ft) above a sheer drop
This glass-bottom bridge is one of the highest in the world.
It is suspended 300 metres (984ft) above a sheer drop, linking the sides of a canyon that divides two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie Park, in China’s central Hunan province.
The bridge spans approximately 430 metres (1,400 feet) and the structure is six metres (19ft 8in) wide and made of some 99 panels of clear glass. When it opened in 2016, thousands of tourists queued up to cross it and the attraction became so busy that you could barely see the dizzying drop below.
Hongyagu Scenic Area Bridge
Spectacular: The bridge in the Hongyagu Scenic Area, which hangs 755 feet above the ground between two cliffs, roughly the height of a 66-storey building
This 1,601ft-long bridge in the Hongyagu Scenic Area opened to the public in December 2017 – and proved a massive hit with visitors.
At the time, it was the longest glass bridge in the world and had been designed to ‘sway a little’ when tourists walk on it, according to reports on Chinese state media.
The 6.5-foot-wide walkway hangs 755 feet above the ground between two cliffs, roughly the height of a 66-storey building.
Shapotou Suspension Bridge
Part of the Shapotou Suspension Bridge is covered by 3D art – just to add to the thrill
This glass-bottomed bridge in China crosses the notoriously fast-flowing Yellow River.
Called the Shapotou Suspension Bridge, tourists apparently struggled to cross the 328-metre-long (1,076 feet) bridge when it opened in 2017 as they could see the water gushing right under their feet.
In addition, part of the terrifying walkway has 3D art on the floor, including that of a huge waterfall. Management hopes it provides daredevil visitors with the ultimate adrenaline rush.
Yalong Bay Walkway
The 400-metre-long vertigo-inducing glass-bottomed bridge that is suspended over Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park in Hainan province
Suspended over the lush hills of the Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park in Hainan province is this vertigo-inducing glass-bottomed bridge.
The 400-metre-long structure features several circular glass observation decks along the bridge, jutting out of the mountainside at 450 metres (1,400ft) above the ground at its highest point.
Built with triple-tempered laminated glass panels that are each 3cm (1.2in) thick, visitors feel as if they are walking on air.
The A-shaped bridge
This glass-bottomed walkway is built on the side of a cliff face at a height of 390ft and extends 262ft into the air
This terrifying transparent walkway extends more than 80 metres (262ft) from a cliff face above a vertigo-inducing 120-metre drop (390 t) at the Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park in Chongqing.
The £4.5million attraction extends a staggering 69.6 metres (228ft) from the rock, providing exhilarating views towards the valley underneath.
The walkway’s total length is nearly 200 metres (656ft) and no more than 30 visitors are allowed to stand on the bridge at any one time.
