Glass suspension bridge over an abyss China. Glass bridges in China and around the world (video). Sensations above the bottomless abyss

Modern architectural possibilities allow you to create amazing buildings. One of them is "China's heavenly trail", which has been exciting the minds of its visitors for several years in a row!

Where is the glass bridge in China?

The world's longest glass bridge is located in a picturesque place - the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. This place for construction was not chosen by chance. The canyon will be able to surprise all tourists with incredible sunset and sunrise views. The height of the bridge, 300 meters, can be seen through the transparent floor of the architectural wonder! This creates an optical illusion, as if you are walking on air - making the first step can be very difficult and scary.

Zhangjiajie District - Avatar movie in the real world. This mountainous region will be able to remind you of landscapes from the fantastic, fictional planet "Pandora", which exists in the cinema universe of the movie "Avatar".

From the glass bridge you can observe the adjacent nature reserves and the Tianmen mountain system. These areas are one of the first nature reserves in the world, which will allow tourists to enjoy the amazing nature that has been preserved from the early periods of the formation of the state of China.

Description of the glass bridge

Knowing how amazing and diverse China can be, a glass bridge in the mountains does not seem to be something amazing at all, but there is something to be surprised about:

• Transparent bridge height: 300 meters;

It has convenient viewing platforms and places for an extreme type of recreation (you can jump from it with bungee jumping).

• Passage width: 6 meters.

This width does not introduce any difficulties when moving across the bridge, and creates the feeling of no sidewalls - you just walk "on the air" and nothing more.

"The glass sky of China" - this is also sometimes called this architectural building of the century. This name is associated with the mythology of China. In Chinese myths, the sky is a symbol of divinity and power. The one who walks in the sky has incredible magical powers.

When was it opened?

The "glass attraction" (as the Chinese sometimes call it) opened on August 20, 2016. At first, the bridge was opened in test mode - no more than 600 tourists a day and by pre-ordering a ticket, but later - this measure was canceled and the bridge functions in standard mode (800 tourists at a time).

At the opening ceremony, the head of the Zhangjiajie city district solemnly cut the ribbon - this event became a national holiday for the whole country, and in Beijing a personalized postage stamp was issued in honor of the completion of construction.

Length of the bridge

The length is:

• 430 meters.

Almost half a kilometer in the Zhangjiajie region, a glass bridge connects two hiking trails. Walking on it itself is an attraction that causes surprise and an unusual feeling of freedom.

Along the entire length, tourists can photograph themselves "soaring in the air" over the abyss.

Who built it and how?

The chilling suspension bridge was commissioned by the Chinese government. The order value was $ 3.4 million. The completed project set 10 world records at once!

The construction began with the installation of special (architectural) support pillars, which visually look very light - this was specially conceived by the architects. This solution made it possible to once again emphasize the effect of "floating above the ground" for tourists.

The transparent bridge has a steel frame base. This frame was fitted with 120 walking glass panels (instead of the traditional asphalt). The material for making such panels can be called "glass" only conditionally - the material is much stronger, but has a similar transparency to glass.

The thickness of the durable transparent coating of the bridge is 15 centimeters and is not inferior in strength to concrete. Walking with your feet on such a surface over an abyss is permitted.

Architecturally, the “heavenlyness” of the creation is emphasized by the decorative and functional elements of the suspension of the steel frame, which makes it unusual appearance, and further adds strength to the entire structure.

Security measures

The security measures on the glass bridge are the same as on the regular bridge, with a few exceptions:

• It is forbidden to use selfie sticks;

This precaution is caused by several cases of their loss. Tourists, for beautiful photographs, stuck them out of the sides, the gusty wind carried such "photo tools" away from their owners under the bridge.

• Take heavy luggage with you;

Before passing, the weight of your luggage will be weighed on special scales and asked to put heavy objects. After the end of the tourist trip - items are returned to their owners. Also, this is due to the fact that in 2015, a missed thermos filled with liquid was able to make a microcrack at the junction of two panels. Technically, this was not exactly a crack, but only a peeling of one of the composite parts of the panel, which did not pose a threat to the lives of visitors. However, it was decided to ban heavy carry-on luggage.

• You cannot walk with a cane.

Small stones can clog the tip of the reed. The strength of such stones (quartz) is extremely high - they can leave abrasions and scratches.

How to get to the architectural masterpiece?

You can get there in several ways and in several stages - these are:

• By plane:

Chinese airlines carry out regular flights from cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Changsha, Shenyang,.

• By train;

Trains of the usual type go from any city. It is recommended, for a faster journey, to calculate your route so as to travel the maximum distance on a high-speed train, and then change to a regular train - this way faster.

Purchase a ticket to the Grand Canyon at the Zhangjiajie bus station. The buses are equipped with air conditioning and tourist programs from the guides.

Purchase a ticket at the box office or present a pre-purchased ticket to enter the tourist area, which includes the "heavenly sky".

Landmarks Myths and Facts

• The Chinese authorities are hiding the number of people who fell off the bridge.

It can not be true. Since the longest bridge in the world is the pride of the Chinese nation, all tourists are counted. This is done in order to improve safety and identify (at an early stage) possible design problems. Any interested journalist, using the journalist's right to information, can obtain this data at the very first request to the authorities.

• China Air Trail shakes when walking.

It's true. This was done deliberately in order to reduce the load on the steel frame. Some say that it is from this that the "scary" suspension bridge is cracking, but this is not entirely accurate. Tremor - cushioning, which allows the bridge to be more resistant to winds and possible changes in the geological features of the terrain (distance between supports).

A video from China is gaining popularity on the Internet, in which a man walking on a glass bridge falls in panic when cracks begin to crawl on the glass under his feet. Fortunately, everything worked out - the cracks were just an ingenious special effect added to one of the sections of the bridge.

The footage of a man as the glass bridge along Taihangshan Mountain is cracking under his feet captured the attention of Chinese social networks, according to the Mashable website. You can watch how the hero of the video, noticing the cracks, falls in fear on the glass and tries to crawl away.

A non-trick-looking man, presumably a tour guide, leads a group of people.

Suddenly cracks begin to appear under his feet.

The guide falls to the glass with a cry, but cracks continue to creep under his hands. The man, in a panic, tries to crawl away.

The video instantly spread across a large number of Chinese media outlets.

Fortunately, the cracks that frightened the pedestrian were just the result of the work of special panels installed on one of the sections of the bridge located at an altitude of 1,200 meters. The panels respond to pedestrian footsteps by displaying images of crawling cracks and making a distinctive sound.

The bridge, located along the sheer cliff, offers an impressive view.

The East Taihangshan District Administration issued an official apology, explaining that the cracked glass is just an effect the designers have added to "provoke". The administration has no intention of dismantling the pedestrian-intimidating panels and hopes that a good dose of adrenaline will help attract additional tourists.

"The effect is too realistic, really a little scary."

"The cores can get churned here."

The world's longest glass bridge has been completed in Zhangjiajie National Park, Hunan Province. The structure is said to be very sturdy and can support up to 800 people. /site/

The bridge, located 300 meters above the ground, connects the two sides of the grand canyon. The glass structure is 430 meters long and six meters wide. According to the builders, the glass cover of the bridge has passed about 100 safety tests. Also tests were carried out for resistance to temperature changes and swing in the wind.

Glass bridge on the gorge. Photo: JOHANNES EISELE / AFP / Getty Images

The project was developed by the Israeli architectural firm Haim Dotan. "Thanks to its glass base, the Zhangjiajie Bridge will look like a real invisible road leading into the clouds," the designers said about the structure.

This is not the first glass bridge in the area. In September last year, another glass bridge opened in Zhangjiajie Park, called the "Bridge of Courageous People." Suspended structure 300 meters long is located between two cliffs at a height of 180 meters.

Previously, the bridge was made of wood, but to attract tourists, they decided to make it entirely of glass. Back in 2014, the park's management conducted an experiment, replacing a small part of the bridge with a glass one. Everyone liked the result of the experiment, so the administration decided to change the entire bridge.

According to engineers, 24 mm glass is absolutely safe. Tourists can even jump on it if they risk it. However, they often walk along it with their eyes closed or on all fours. Many people try not to look down, although you can admire the picturesque views of the villages below.

Are glass bridges safe?

There is another glass bridge in Zhangjiajie Park. It is located on the sheer cliff of Tianmen. True, it does not swing over the gorge, but is attached to the mountain, but this does not make the bridge any less terrible. A transparent structure called the "air trail" invites tourists to admire the views of the park from a height of 1,430 meters. This height allows you to look at some of the mountains from above.

In October last year, this bridge cracked, which greatly frightened tourists. The U-shaped glass bridge could not withstand the impact of a metal thermos, which fell from the hands of one of the visitors. Fortunately, no one was hurt, the tourists were evacuated.

Bridge officials confirmed that several cracks appeared on the structure "under the influence of external force". However, they assured that only one of the three layers of glass was cracked, so there was no danger to people.

Glass bridges in other countries

Thrill seekers can admire the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona from the observation deck known as the Sky Trail. The glass deck was designed by architect Mark Ross Johnson in 2009.

The bridge is made in the form of an arc, carried out beyond the rocks by 20 meters. Here tourists can fully feel themselves soaring over the abyss, since the completely transparent structure is located at an altitude of more than 1.2 kilometers. Both the railings and the floor of the bridge are made entirely of glass with a high degree of transparency.

There is a lot with glass floor on Tower Bridge in central London. The breathtaking panorama of the English capital can be seen if you climb the pedestrian part of the bridge to a height of 44 meters. Compared to bridges located in the mountains, Tower Bridge is not scary at all.

There are no such structures in Russia yet, but Moscow has a chance to acquire its own "floating bridge" in the future. There is a glass structure over the Moskva River in the Zaryadye park project. According to the plan, it should connect the park with the embankment. It will be possible to get to it through an underground passage.

The height of the structure will be 140 meters. A view of the Kremlin, park and central embankments will open from the bridge. According to the project managers, the construction of the bridge will begin this year. The opening of the Zaryadye park itself is planned for next year.

The bridge is strong enough, there should be no defects, it is able to withstand even a high temperature of 60 °. Does not hesitate or stagger at a wind speed of 220 kilometers per hour.

The bridge is treated with care, everyone who wants to walk on it put on shoe covers. And for people who really want to admire the beauty of the valley, but are afraid to go alone, there is a special staff who accompanies all the way - from one peak to another.

True, the Chinese themselves are already accustomed to such bridges. The very first glass bridge was built on Tianmen Mountain. The length of courage is only 61 meters. But when you find out at what height the bridge is located, you will hardly agree to feel all the delights of human creation. The bridge flaunts at an altitude of 1220 meters. There are always enough willing ones, but there are more of those in whom the fear of heights is instilled. Many people are terrified of heights, I wonder what it was like for the builders. Hopefully their work has paid off well.

Believe it or not, not so long ago one guide was leading a tourist group across the bridge, when suddenly cracks began to appear under his feet with a creaking sound.

The man fell to the floor and started screaming, he was scared. It is interesting that a happy calm person comes towards him and casts a dull look at the guide. He is not aware of what happened.

In the video you can see what is happening yourself. People were so excited, later there was a lot of zealous discussion on the net. To calm people down, the Taihanshan East District administration told the media that these are just special effects. This is such a PR move so that a large number of tourists visit such a frightening attraction.

China has many beautiful provinces with national parks and forests, striking picturesque natural landscapes. Rare plants grow here and representatives of the animal world, listed in the Red Book, live. In terms of the number of tourists, the Celestial Empire ranks 3rd in the world, and tourism is an important, rapidly developing branch of the country's economy. Moreover, guests come here not only to appreciate and enjoy the beauty, but also to get a lot of new sensations. After all, here are some of the scariest entertainments in the world, namely the largest glass bridges, observation platforms and paths that allow you to walk along the very edge of the abyss.

Chinese attractions

In the southeast of the Middle Kingdom, the province of Hunan is located with the most unusual corners in the world. This is a real pearl of nature - Zhangjiajie National Park, which is both a botanical and a geological reserve. Among the attractions are the high cliffs of Wulingyuan, Tianmen Mountain, Lake Shiyan, the Grand Canyon and, of course, amazing glass structures.

Several glazed trails are located almost at the top of Tianmen Mountain. Previously, there was a wooden building here, but the administration of the national park decided to install transparent panels in some places to tickle the nerves of everyone. The first structure, about 150 cm wide and 6 cm thick, was built at an altitude of 1400 m above sea level back in 2011. At that time, it was the tallest glass bridge in China.

To enhance the sensations, special LCD screens were installed on some panels, which, when stepping on this section of the transparent floor, imitated the destruction of glass, which caused a violent reaction from visitors.

Wriggling dragon

This was the name of the third trail, officially opened here in August 2016. Its length is 100 m, and the only support of the structure is a sheer cliff. Only a low side separates from the abyss, and it seems that if you move carelessly, you can break down. Even the caretakers claim that there are frequent cases when visitors overestimate their capabilities. As a result, the "daredevils", having stepped on the structure, are afraid to look down, try to grab onto a rather smooth rock, or simply faint in the middle of the attraction. Only a few people decide to come close to the transparent fence.

Challenge for heroes

In China, another great test of courage was an ambitious 2015 project designed to increase the flow of tourists to the country. This structure of reinforced three-layer glass was erected instead of an old dilapidated wooden structure on the territory of an eco-friendly park at an altitude of about 150 m between the islands of Lake Shiyan. For the construction, panels were used with a thickness of 3 cm, while each can withstand a weight of 6 tons. The total length of the glass bridge is 300 m, and the glass spans are 200 m. According to the test results, the structure is reliable and safe. There can be 1,200 visitors at the same time.

Road in the clouds

One of the longest and tallest glass bridges in the world, built at an altitude of about 300 m between mountain cliffs above the Zhangjiajie canyon, in September 2016 set 10 world records at once. It has a length of 430 m and a width of 6 m. The structure consists of steel cables, a fence and a floor consisting of 99 5 cm thick slabs. The project was designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, and the construction cost $ 3.4 million. At the same time, up to 600 people can stand on a heavy-duty glazed structure, and about 8,000 can visit a day, although there are so many who wish that it is advisable to book a ticket in advance.

The developers have conducted tests for strength, safety and claim that the structure can withstand strong gusts of wind and vibration. At the grand opening, in confirmation of the reliability of the structure, they beat him with sledgehammers, and even a car weighing 2 tons drove by. A platform for bungee-japing will be opened here.

In another Chinese tourist area in 2015, a large glass platform was opened at an altitude of 1,120 m above sea level, while the depth of the gorge reaches 700 m.The length of the structure is almost 27 m.At the construction, about 200 visitors can simultaneously admire the scenery from any angle ...

Although the creators guarantee that the glass structure can withstand up to 800 kg per 1 m², the bridge in the Yongtaishan Mountains still crashed.

Aerial trail

In the Yuntai Mountains, a U-shaped glass trail was opened several years ago at an altitude of over 1,000 meters. An unpleasant incident occurred here. One of the tourists, who dropped the steel thermos, caused the glass floor to crack. All visitors were urgently evacuated, so no one was hurt.

Observation deck

In 2016, on the territory of the famous Shilin stone forest, which is considered one of the wonders of the world, a glass structure in the form of an observation deck was located at an altitude of 400 m above the ground. The total area of ​​the building is 415 m², width is about 3 m, and length is about 50 m. Beautiful views of the valley and the opportunity to take a unique selfie attract thousands of thrill-seekers.

Longest glass structure

The engineers did not stop there and at the end of 2017 presented to the world the longest today, a glass bridge built between two sheer cliffs at an altitude of 218 m in Hebei province. The structure, 488 m long and 2 m wide, took 1.5 years to build. It consists of 1,077 panels 4 cm thick. The length is 218 m, and the total weight is about 70 tons. Up to 3,000 people can stay here at one time, but so far no more than 500-600 visitors are allowed to visit it. The architects ensure that the structure is resistant to storms (12 points) and earthquakes (6 points). There is a beautiful view from the structure, and when people walk through the center, it sways slightly, causing an unforgettable experience. This is undeniably something breathtaking.

Glass bridges of the world

But not only China is famous for its amazing glass buildings. So, in the very heart of the capital of Great Britain, in the pedestrian part of the famous Tower Bridge, erected back in 1894, at a height of 44 meters, glass panels are mounted in the floor sections, through which beautiful panoramas open up.

In the 21st century, the first glazed bridge was built in the Austrian capital. This structure consists of 2x5 m panels and a steel frame. Thanks to the connection by means of invisible fastening elements, the feeling is created that a single structure, transparent from all sides, is floating in the air. Inside there is a restaurant, which is illuminated with blue light in the evening.

In the United States, David Ginopadus and Mark Ross Johnson in northwestern Arizona established the Sky Trail site over one of the deepest canyons in the world. Initially, it was planned to install a simple rectangular path, but as a result, the horseshoe-shaped structure was removed from the edge of the mountain by 20 m. The height under the transparent floor 10 cm thick is more than 1,200 m. The width is about 3 m, and the length of the site is 20 m. Reliable the structure can withstand loads up to 70 tons, wind up to 160 km / h and earthquakes up to 8 points. 120 or more visitors to Sky Walk can enjoy the beauty of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.

Glass and spectacular lighting are increasingly used in contemporary architectural creations around the world. So, in the UAE, a Formula 1 track was built, and a hotel was erected nearby. The roofs of the two buildings were connected by a glass canopy with built-in diode lamps, and the hulls were connected by a small bridge under which the race track runs. In Tbilisi, the Bridge of Peace, lined with glass panels, with a large canopy roof was also erected. It has become a prominent landmark in Georgia.

Glass bridges in Moscow

The Soaring Bridge has recently appeared in the capital of Russia. A V-shaped structure with a transparent fence was erected over the Moskva River in Zaryadye Park. Its length is 244 m, the outreach of the cantilever part is 70 m. It rises 15 m above the water. At the same time, up to 4,000 people can stand on the building, which can withstand a load of more than 240 tons. The unique architectural structure is one of the best observation platforms in the capital.

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