Closure of Glass-Bottomed Bridge in China

World's highest glass bridge closes just 13 DAYS after its grand opening due to overwhelming volume of tourists 

• The £48 million walkway in southern China is forced to close today after it opened on August 20
• Thousands of people flocked to stand on the 984-foot-high 1,410-foot-long structure every day
• A spokesman said 'there were too many people' but he insisted there were no safety concerns

• By Tracy You, Qin Xie For Mailonline,www.dailymail.co.uk


• September 2nd, 2016

The world's longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge has been forced to close after an overwhelming number of tourists flocked to walk across the transparent structure standing some 980 feet high.

The walkway in southern China, which cost £48 million to build, opened on August 20 and halted its operations today, according to People's Daily Online.

A spokesman from the attraction told MailOnline that the bridge is designed to support a maximum of 800 people at a time, and it has received around 10,000 tourists a day since its opening.

The spokesman insisted the glass floor of the bridge is safe.

 The glass-bottomed bridge in China closed today - two weeks after its opening - due to overwhelming volume of tourists

The walkway crosses two peaks in the mountains of Zhangjiajie - the same ranges that inspired the blockbuster Avatar

A spokesman from the attraction told MailOnline that the bridge has received around 10,000 tourists a day since its opening

The see-through bridge is located in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, a popular scenic spot in China known to have inspired the American blockbuster Avatar.

The same spokesman said government of the local Zili County had requested the bridge to close after it realised that the structure had attracted an overwhelming number of tourists. The management decided to follow the instruction.

He said the bridge has been closed for 'maintenance' and 'upgrading'. 

Tourists were said to need to queue for hours to in order to stand on the transparent floor.

The spokesman added that the large number of people had also posed difficulties for the construction of facilities around the attraction.

However, the spokesman said the management is 'confident about the quality of the glass floor.

'There were simply too many people. For example, we can't expand our parking area properly, and people started scalping tickets.

It is yet to be announced when the bridge will reopen. 

 The bridge is designed to support a maximum of 800 people at a time, and the spokesman insisted the glass floor was safe

The dramatic bridge, which stands at some 980 feet high, is designed to support a maximum of 800 people at a time

Young boys lie on the world's longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge over the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon on August 20

In an announcement on one of its social media accounts, the company apologised for inconveniencing the many travellers who had made reservations to visit.

'You... have cheated consumers,' one angry commenter replied.

 'I'm on the train right now. I can't change my travel plans or get a refund. You have made the world lose hope. I see you are the world's number one cheat,' another posted. 

A test event on June 25 involved bridge officials driving a car across as they are watched a film crew and some 30 guests on the structure 



Some even took to smashing the glass with a hammer to prove the robustness of the bridge. However officials are now struggling to cope with the masses of people descending on the attraction saying it needs 'an internal system upgrade'

The Zhangjiajie glass-bottomed bridge spans approximately 430 metres (1,400 feet) across two peaks and is suspended 300 metres (984ft) above a sheer drop.

It crosses a canyon that divides two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie Park, in China's central Hunan province.

The structure is six metres (19ft8in) wide and made of some 99 panels of clear glass.

It can carry up to 800 people at the same time, an official at Zhangjiajie told China's state news agency Xinhua.

Tourists can walk across the bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, and the more adventurous will be able to bungee jump or ride a zip line.

According to management, a bungee platform and a giant swing are expected to be added to the platform.

The bungee platform, which will be attached to the bridge, is expected to be 260 metres high (853 feet), said the spokesman.

If the plan materialises, the platform will be 23 metres (75 feet) higher than that of the Macau Tower, the highest commercial jumping spot in the world.

The swing is planned to be nearly 170 metres (558 feet) long and is due to be suspended from the bridge towards the valley.

Both the bungee jump and the swing will be open to the public next year, according to the company. 

Tourists can walk across the bridge, designed by Israeli Haim Dotan. A bungee platform and a swing have also been planned

Following an alarming glass bridge cracking incident at the Yuntai mountain in northern Henan in 2015, authorities in Zhangjiajie were eager to demonstrate the safety of the structure

According to Huanqiu, many tourists started queuing to be the first to go on the bridge the night before its grand opening on August 20.

The first of those to get on the bridge were seen lying down and doing splits.

Later on in the day, the bridge became incredibly crowded and you can barely tell that the structure has a glass bottom. 

Wang Min, who was visiting the new structure with her husband and children, said: 'I wanted to feel awe-inspired by this bridge. But I'm not afraid - it seems safe!'

Lin Chenglu, another visitor who had come to see the bridge with his colleagues, said: 'It's crowded today and a bit of a mess. But to be suspended 300 metres in the air, it's a unique experience.' 

Following an alarming glass bridge cracking incident at the Yuntai mountain in northern Henan in 2015, authorities in Zhangjiajie were eager to demonstrate the safety of the structure.

Cameras and selfie sticks are banned, according to Xinhua, although it seems that some of the first tourists are already flouting the rules

No fear: The structure is six metres (19ft8in) wide and made of some 99 panels of clear glass
They organised a string of media events, including one where people were encouraged to try and smash the bridge's glass panels with a sledge hammer, and another where they drove a car across it. 

Tourists will have to book their tickets a day in advance, at a cost of 138 yuan (£15.94).

Cameras and selfie sticks are banned, and people wearing stilettos will not be allowed to walk on the bridge, Xinhua said. 

Last October, a group of tourists were left screaming in terror after a glass-bottomed walkway cracked at 3,540 feet high

Last October, a group of Chinese tourists were left screaming in terror on the side of a 3,540-foot-high cliff after a glass pane on a new transparent walkway suddenly shattered.

A visitor posted pictures of the cracked glass on Chinese social media. She said she could feel the shake under her feet the moment when the glass broke.

The U-shaped platform is attached to a cliff face on Yuntai Mountain, Henan Province, and had opened to the public two weeks earlier

Don't look down? The setting for the movie 'Avatar' is based on the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and its surroundings. It is a UNESCO world heritage site

A bridge too far

NOTE : Earlier I had published the details of this Bridge under "Chinese Engineering ". The same bridge terrifies the tourists.

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A bridge too far: Terrified tourists struggle to walk across China's new glass-bottom walkway suspended 600 FEET above the ground 

• New glass-bottomed suspension bridge has opened today at Shiniuzhai Geopark in Hunan, central China
• It's the world's longest glass-bottomed walkway at 984 foot long and is 590 foot above the canyon below
• 11 engineers were involved in transforming bridge from a normal wooden one into the new construction

By Qin Xie For Mailonline

Published: 11:20 GMT, 24 September 2015 | Updated: 12:53 GMT, 24 September 2015

A group of brave tourists learnt the meaning of vertigo the hard way as they became the first visitors to cross a new 590 foot high glass-bottomed suspension bridge in China.

This spectacular structure, the first of its kind in the world, is situated in the province of Hunan, reported People's Daily Online. 

Images have emerged online showing the visitors gripped with fear and frozen in awe while standing on the see-through walkway. One female tourist is seen clutching to the handrail tightly and had to be dragged along by her friend. 

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A spectacular new glass-bottomed suspension bridge has now opened. The first images from its opening today showed terrified tourists

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The glass bridge was said to wobble slightly when people walked across it, adding to the fear-factor of the already frightening ordeal

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Tourists have to walk 984 foot to cross the bridge from one side to the over. Below them is a 590 foot steep drop the canyon floor 

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 Many people's faces were gripped by fear as they tried not to look down to the steep drop below with only each other for comfort

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It is the world's first glass-bottomed bridge and it also currently the world's longest glass walkway according to Chinese media reports

The bridge had previously been a wooden overpass that linked two peaks of Stone Buddha Mountain in Shiniuzhai Geopark but is now a 984 foot long glass walkway.  

Part of the bridge had already been replaced with a glass cutout in 2014, attracting hoards of fearless tourists.

However, 11 engineers have been working on the bridge over the last few months to replace all the wooden planks with glass panes, transforming the bridge into the world's first glass-bottomed suspension bridge. 

According to reports, several visitors were so terrified that they could barely move. 

Some were seen holding on to each other as well as to the railings as they made the crossing.

Many people were gripped by fear as they tried not to look down to the steep drop below.

The bridge was said to wobble slightly when people walked across it, adding to the fear-factor of the frightening ordeal. 

However, as part of the scenic site, it also offered incredible views over the geopark and the landscape below. 

The amazing construction has already been dubbed 'hero bridge' because of the amount of courage required to cross it. 

Those worried about the safety of the bridge can rest easy.

The glass panes forming the footpath are said to be 25 times stronger than regular window glass. They're also created to stay in shape and withstand impact although special footwear has been issued to visitors. 

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This bridge had previously been a wooden overpass that linked two peaks of Stone Buddha Mountain in the scenic Shiniuzhai Geopark

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Bridge engineers have promised safety. The glass panes forming the footpath are said to be 25 times stronger than regular window glass

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These double glass panes are also created to stay in shape and withstand impact. Visitors have been issues with special footwear

In recent years, glass-bottomed walkways have become incredibly popular for Chinese thrill-seekers.

More and more tourism sites are constructing viewing platforms over steep vertical drops to attract visitors.

Most recently, a glass elevator opened at a scenic site in Hubei, central China, to allow visitors to reach the peak of the mountain quicker.

The elevator was situated next to a cliff-face and was a staggering 3,543 feet above sea level.

When visitors reach the top, they could walk along a glass-bottomed walk way along the cliff to further admire the views.

Earlier this year, a viewing platform in Chongqing, south-western China, became the world's longest cantilever walkway with a glass bottom.

It's a breath-taking 2,356 feet drop to the ground below. 

Another bridge is currently under construction in Zhangjiajie, Hunan. It will be an astounding 984 feet above the canyon it's built over.

The 1,247 foot long bridge will be able to accommodate 800 people at any one time when complete.