EVERY time I return home from a trip to China, I prepare myself for the onslaught of “Made in China” jokes. To most of my friends, traveling to China is risky, because everything there seems to be made with “China quality.” Despite the many good stories I tell them, they remain unconvinced that buildings and bridges in China are not as flimsy as a house of cards.
In fact, China is home to the world’s longest and highest glass-bottomed pedestrian bridge, which I dared crossing in my quest to make the remaining days of 2018 more interesting and memorable. Located in the northwest of Hunan Province, the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge measures about 375 meters long, 6 meters wide, and hovers 300 meters or 984 feet over the canyon floor.
Light rain was pouring when we arrived. This, however, did not discourage tourists and locals from frolicking on the bridge. I actually saw a bunch of elderly locals who, clad in their colorful raincoats, twirled and spread-eagled on the wet ground like big, bright spinning tops. Their little exhibition drew the attention of the visitors, and we soon found ourselves laughing and forgetting about the killer drop beneath our cloth-covered shoes.
Contrary to what most people believe, the bridge is actually wide enough to hold 600-800 visitors, the glass bottom is thick and sturdy enough to know that it doesn’t easily break. We’re required to wear shoe covers, whether it’s raining or not, to protect the glass bottom from scratches, and we’re discouraged from bringing in heavy bags and backpacks, big cameras, action cameras or GoPros, tablets, and tripods.
Since opening to the public in 2016, the bridge has been attracting thousands of locals and tourists from all over the globe. It’s gaining more popularity now, especially on social media, so securing tickets to the bridge has become more challenging.
We were given one to two hours to explore and cross the bridge. Once we walked through the entrance doors, I knew we were past the point of no return. Instead of running straight to the foot of the bridge, I let myself get blown away by the sheer magnificence of the bridge and the surrounding Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. The view squashed all thoughts of fear of heights or falling into the abyss.
The most daring adventurers can also try bungee jumping to have a closer look of the canyon grounds. But if you’re among the faint-hearted crowd, you can simply sit by the bleachers at the dome, where you can see the bridge hovering like the kingdom of Zeus on Mount Olympus.