Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge

Glass Bottomed Suspension Bridge Over The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Opened 2016 · Zhangjiajie, Hunan

A glass-floored suspension bridge strung between two cliffs above the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in western Hunan, which broke records when it opened in August 2016 as the longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge in the world. Designed by the Israeli architect Haim Dotan to be as nearly invisible as possible against the sandstone landscape, the bridge stretches about 430 metres and hangs roughly 300 metres above the canyon floor, its deck made of layered panels of transparent glass through which visitors look straight down into the forest below. So many people came in its first days that it closed for upgrades less than two weeks after opening, and visitor numbers are now controlled with timed, real-name reservations. Crossing the bridge is only the start of the visit: the route continues down into the canyon itself by long stairways and a slide, past waterfalls, streams and narrow fern-lined gorges, and out on a boat ride across a green canyon lake. Over the years the bridge has also hosted a record-high bungee jump, rope swings and events staged high above the gorge. The canyon lies in the same sandstone country as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, whose pillars inspired the floating mountains of the film Avatar, and the two are often visited together.

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area, Sanguansi Township, Cili County, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China

Daily in good weather; opening times reported variously as 7:30-17:30 or 8:00-16:30 (check your booking). Closes temporarily in high wind or heavy rain.

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