Officially dubbed the “Glass Bridge”, the world’s longest glass bridge is based in the Huangchuan Three Gorges Scenic Area in the southeast of China has broken the Guinness World Records, now being known officially as the longest glass-based suspension bridge in the world. The structure has been designed symbolically in relation to connection and communication. The pedestrian bridge crosses the Beijiang River system in the Pearl River Basin and spans the cliffs on either side of the river. It “harmoniously coexists with nature”. The bridge was completed by The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (UAD) and incorporates several innovative and unique design and architectural features.
Also Read: Indian Railways builds the world’s tallest pier bridge, Manipur.
Built as a tourist attraction, the bridge has got expansions for platforms where tourists can pause for photos as they make the jaw-dropping, and rather terrifying, walk. The glass bottom is composed of three layers of 1.7 inches thick tempered glass. It’s been designed to be completely see-through, perched 201 meters above the river which is populated by boats. It can host up to 500 visitors at a time and has guardrails made of stainless steel. The bridge towers and main cables are all painted red to stand out against the greenery of the gorges.
The world’s longest glass bridge, which completed construction early this year, was officially recognized as the longest glass bridge in the world by Guinness World Records earlier the summer. However, it may not retain its title for too long as China is continually building bigger and longer glass-bridges. Currently, there are nearly 2,300 glass bridges in the country. In 2017, the Hongyagu suspension bridge became the longest and most terrifying bridge in the world as it was designed to swing as people crossed it.
