Bach Long bridge, Song La: World's longest glass-bottomed bridge opens in Vietnam

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Bach Long bridge, Song La: World's longest glass-bottomed bridge opens in Vietnam

By Alan Granville
Updated
A promo shot for the bridge, which hopes to be certified by Guinness World Records.

A promo shot for the bridge, which hopes to be certified by Guinness World Records.Credit: MOCCHAUISLAND/INSTAGRAM

A resort in Vietnam claims to have snatched the crown of the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge.

The Moc Chau Island Mountain Park Hotel says the newly-opened 632-metre bridge in northwest Son La province breaks the current record held in China by more than 100 metres.

Called Bach Long, which translates to "white dragon", the bridge spans two peaks and is suspended 150m above the jungle.

The bridge spans two peaks in Vietnam.

The bridge spans two peaks in Vietnam. Credit: EURONEWS/SCREENGRAB

The floor of the bridge is made from French-produced tempered glass and the structure can hold 450 people at a time.

To prove its strength, a 4x4 was recently driven across it.

The bridge hasn't been certified by Guinness World Records yet, but officials are due to visit in the coming weeks.

One visitor clinging to the side of the bridge.

One visitor clinging to the side of the bridge.Credit: Euronews/Screengrab

It is the third glass-bottomed bridge in the country and it is hoped the attraction will encourage more people to visit.

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Tourism is a vital economic driver in Vietnam and has been hugely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In March, the country ended quarantine for international visitors.

But Bach Long isn't the only incredible bridge structure in Vietnam.

In 2018, the footbridge Cầu Vàng (aka the "Golden Bridge"), in Ba Na Hills, Central Vietnam was opened.

Extending from a cliff face over the tree-covered valley below, the curved walkway is supported by giant stone hands which represent the "hands of Gods pulling a strip of gold out of the land".

Bach Long joins a list of other stomach-churning structures for acrophobics.

This month, a ski resort in the Czech village of Dolní Morava will launch the world's longest suspension footbridge. The record-breaking Sky Bridge 721 stretches 721m and dangles 95m above the Mlýnické Valley at its highest point.

China remains the glass-bottomed bridge king with more than 2000 dotted across the country.

Not everything goes according to plan. In 2021, a tourist was left clinging to the side of a glass-bottomed bridge in the Piyan Mountain resort near the city of Longjing after strong winds blew the panels off, while the structure over Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, which when it debuted was the longest and tallest glass bottomed bridge in the world, was overwhelmed by visitors and had to close soon after opening. It reopened days later.

Stuff.co.nz

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