Yahoo – AFP,
August 21, 2016
The world's
highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge opened in China's spectacular
Zhangjiajie mountains -- the inspiration for American blockbuster Avatar.
Some 430
metres (1,400 feet) long and suspended 300 metres above the earth, the bridge
spans the canyon between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie park in China's
central Hunan province.
Six metres
wide and made of some 99 panels of clear glass, the bridge can carry up to 800
people at the same time, an official in Zhangjiajie -- a popular tourist
destination -- told the Xinhua news agency.
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.
"I
wanted to feel awe-inspired by this bridge. But I'm not afraid -- it seems
safe!" Wang Min, who was visiting the new structure with her husband and children,
told AFP Saturday.
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.
A tourist
takes a photograph on the world's highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge
above a valley in Zhangjiajie in China's Hunan province (AFP Photo/Fred Dufour)
|
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.
"It's
crowded today and a bit of a mess. But to be suspended 300 metres in the air,
it's a unique experience," said Lin Chenglu, who had come to see the
bridge with his colleagues.
Only 8,000
people each day will be allowed to cross the bridge, Xinhua said, and tourists
will have to book their tickets a day in advance, at a cost of 138 yuan ($20).
Cameras and
selfie sticks are banned, and people wearing stilettos will not be allowed to
walk on the bridge, Xinhua said.
Local
authorities have said that one of the summits in Zhangjiajie Park inspired the
floating mountain which appears in the American blockbuster Avatar.
A Hollywood
photographer visited the area in 2008, taking images which were used for the
film, according to media reports.
#China opens longest glass bottom #bridge in world. By @freddufour_afp https://t.co/VxXsVhTJs7 pic.twitter.com/7gMCtQ7oGI— AFP Photo Department (@AFPphoto) August 21, 2016
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