Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge

When the Zhangjiajie Glass Footbridge opened to the public in August 2016, it instantly shattered world records as the highest and longest glass bottomed suspension bridge. Stretching 430 metres across and suspended 300 metres above the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, it connects the dramatic cliffs of Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountains, terrain said to have inspired the floating mountains in Avatar. Each of its glass panels is a two inch thick, triple layered slab of tempered transparency, strong enough to support the weight of 800 people at once.

The vision behind the bridge was more than just thrill seeking architecture, it was built to vanish into the landscape. The designers wanted it to be invisible, so as not to disturb the dramatic natural beauty of Hunan province. On misty mornings, the bridge seems to float among the clouds, with only silhouettes of distant karst pillars anchoring it to reality. It’s become a beacon for adventure tourists, photographers and those curious enough to test the limits of their fear of heights.

Nestled below this architectural wonder is Rainbow Square, a colourful and calming stretch along the Southern Red Flag Canal. This canal is more than just an irrigation marvel, it’s a relic of one of China’s most ambitious and devastating social experiments, the Great Leap Forward. Launched in 1958 by Chairman Mao Zedong, the campaign aimed to rapidly transform China from an agrarian society into an industrial powerhouse.  Entire villages were mobilised to carve the 1500km canal by hand, using rudimentary tools like hammers and chisels to dig through mountainsides and sheer cliffs. Completed in 1965, the canal is often celebrated in official narratives as a triumph of socialist engineering. Yet beneath that praise lies a darker truth, the canal was born from an era that led to one of the deadliest man-made disasters in history. Between 1958 and 1962, an estimated 15 to 45 million people died due to famine, malnutrition and government mismanagement. Poor planning, forced collectivisation and falsified production reports fueled the tragedy, while propaganda painted it as progress.

The Southern Red Flag Canal, now quietly fed by the Tianhe Waterfall, flows through a landscape shaped by both human will and human suffering. Despite its tranquil appearance today, the area holds echoes of a painful past. Construction was perilous, hundreds, possibly thousands, of workers died from rockfalls, collapses, malnutrition and accidents with makeshift explosives. Most were peasants conscripted from local communes, working under brutal conditions without safety equipment, driven by political pressure rather than practical necessity. While the canal remains a monument to endurance, its human cost is often glossed over in state sanctioned histories. The water may run clear now but it carries with it stories that are anything but.

Today, the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon has become a playground for adrenaline seekers. Visitors can experience zip lining across ravines, rock climbing against limestone cliffs, riding sightseeing elevators through the foliage and one of the world’s highest bungee jumps, leaping into the same canyon that once echoed with the silent toll of the past. The modern excitement and breathless views can almost make one forget the ghosts in the canyon below. But history lingers here, even as glass bridges gleam overhead and tourists cheer at the edge of fear.

Location : Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Sanguansi Tujia Township, Cili County, Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, China

How to get there : Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, about 40 minutes' drive from Wulingyuan Scenic Area and about 1-1.5 hours' drive from Zhangjiajie downtown. You could reach Grand Canyon by taking a coach from Wulingyuan Bus Station or by taxi.

Attraction Info : This attraction is open between April & November from 7:30am - 5:30pm and between December & March from 8am to 4pm. As a maximum of 600 people are allowed on the glass bridge at one time (capped at 8000 visitors per day), you will need to book in advance and will require your passport to do so). The official website only accepts bookings made with Chinese identity card numbers so foreigners will need to book through a travel agency. Tickets for the bridge only are 175 yuan or you can get access to the bridge and the canyon for 298 yuan. Visitors can only take mobiles and small bags on the bridge, there is a luggage storage area before the check-in entrance where you can leave your belongings for a small fee. Special shoe covers will be provided to everyone before entering the bridge and they must be worn.

张家界大峡谷玻璃桥

Tourism Website : https://cn-zhangjiajie.com

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