The Tianmenshan skywalk in Hubei Province （Photo/Xinhua)
The construction of dizzyingly high glass skyways spanning cliffs seems to have become quite a trend across China in recent years. With their see-through bottoms, these glassy walkways offer courageous visitors the chance to literally walk above the clouds while - as many viral videos on the Internet show - dragging their more faint-hearted companions screaming all the way across. It's also become popular for tourists to these bridges to share pictures of themselves calmly lying down over these terrifying drops with big relaxed smiles on their faces on social media - it's all about playing it cool in the face of terrifying heights. Here, the Global Times would like to introduce some of China's most popular glass skywalks.
The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass-bottom bridge
Opened to the public on Sunday, this bridge hanging between two cliffs in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Central China's Hubei Province, has set the record for the longest and highest glass-bottom bridge in the world.
Spanning 430 meters over a dizzying drop of approximately 300 meters, the 6-meter-wide skywalk ensures that the least possible damage will be done to the region's natural scenery while providing an unforgettable view when tourists look down - that is, if they dare.
With its height advantage, the management for the glass bridge has plans to beat out the Macau Tower by providing the world's highest bungee jump. Additionally, visitors can look forward to watching fashion shows in the air as the bridge can also serve as a runway and can hold as many as 800 people at once, according to its designer, Israeli architect Haim Dotan.
The glass skywalk in Longgang National Geological Park
Stretching out from a cliff at an amazing altitude of 1,010 meters above sea level in Longgang National Geological Park, Southwest China's Chongqing, the 26.68-meter horse-shoe-shaped glass-bottom skywalk was opened to the public in April of 2015. It broke the world record by exceeding the well-known Grand Canyon Skywalk in Arizona by a full 5 meters. It offers a dazzling glance at a 718-meter drop through its glass floor.
The Tianmenshan skywalk
Coming in at 60 meters in length and 1,400 meters above the ground, the glass-floor skywalk in Zhangjiajie Tianmenshan National Park, Hubei Province, is known as the "Eastern Skywalk."
Opened in 2011, the 1.6-meter-wide platform stretches out from the side of Mount Tianmen. Before stepping onto the skywalk, visitors are required to put on shoe covers to keep the glass bottom clean. While walking along the path, taking in the beauty of the cliffs is just a matter of turning your head.
One of the earliest glass walkways in China, the Tianmenshan skywalk has attracted tens of thousands of visitors looking to test their mettle since its completion. Pictures featuring tall and muscular men crawling or clutching the cliff face as they move along have gone viral on a number of social media platforms.
The musical Shiniuzhai National Geopark glass skywalk
The first to combine music with nature, the Shiniuzhai National Geopark glass skywalk in Hunan Province was opened on May 27, 2015. It immediately became a hot topic due to one added element - it can sing.
Pressure sensitive sensors buried in the glass floors activate when tourists step onto the skywalk playing up to 70 different musical notes. Imagine composing a nice tune while standing on a 180-meter-long walkway 300 meters above the ground.
The Baishi Mountain glass walkway
Visitors flocked to the glass walkway at Baishi Mountain in Laiyuan county, North China's Hebei Province, upon its completion in 2014. The 95-meter-long see-through path located on the side of the cliff 1,900 meters above ground is still the highest cliff side pathway in China.
Glass-bottom skywalks from around the globe
The Grand Canyon Skywalk at Eagle Point in Arizona, U.S., has been a highly popular tourist attraction since its opening in 2007. It's a unique horseshoe-shaped walkway that suspends tourists almost 1,200 meters in the air. Walking along the 21-meter-long glass bridge, tourists can get a full view of the riverbed and the natural rock formations below.
The Brewster's Discovery Walkway, or the Glacier Skywalk, is a striking skywalk in Canada that opened in 2014. Located within Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies, it gives a view of a one-of-a-kind ecosystem. On top of the glass-bottom skywalk, which encircles a rounded side of a cliff, tourists can drink in a breathtaking view of glacier valleys. The skywalk is 450 meters long and 280 meters high.
The Cabo Girao Skywalk is one of the most popular attractions on Portugal's Madeira Island. It is set on Cabo Girao, the highest cliff in Europe. The skywalk, which opened in 2012, is fairly small and is more like a viewing platform. Nevertheless, the Cabo Girao Skywalk offers one of the most beautiful cliff views in the world.
