[imagesource:instagram/#ruyibridge]

China is well known for its bigger-is-better structures. Almost every person on the planet knows the 20,000 km Great Wall, stretching from the east seaside to the west desert in northern China. It is a marvel of engineering and construction that snakes its way over mountains and through valleys and is rightly considered one of the marvels of the man-made world. But it’s the lesser-known Ruyi Bridge that is really drawing the crowds the last few years.

Ruyi Bridge spans 100 meters across the east and west gorges of Shenxianj Valley, and for quite a while the internet was unsure whether this was in fact a real bridge. The glass bottom footbridge was constructed between 2017 and 2020 and has three wavy paths that crisscross each other in a trippy wave 160m above ground. The design was made to resemble Jade Ruyi, which is a Chinese symbol of good fortune.

According to an ‘’Interesting Engineering’’ report, the concept behind the bridge was for it to blend in with the natural environment. Additionally, it was inspired by the “ruyi” shape, “which is curved and symbolises power and good fortune in Chinese folklore.”

The bridge first went viral after astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted a picture of it with the caption: “I’d want better handrails”. Since then it has become a tourist hotspot, and perhaps one of the most beautiful architectural pieces dotting the Asian landscape.

China is said to have about 2300 glass-bottomed bridges and walkways, and yes, it’s not always just been pretty pictures and sweeping drone shots. In 2021 a man was left hanging to the railings of a glass bridge in the Piyan Mountains when several pieces of the glass floor were blown away by winds that reached up to 150km/h. They managed to save the poor souls, but I doubt whether he was taking Instagram pics while his feet were dangling 160m above the valley. You can shiver now.

Have a look at the Ruyi Bridge:

I’d want better handrails.

(Ruyi Bridge at Shenxianju, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China) pic.twitter.com/EcctD6Dkbo

— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) November 29, 2020

Terrifying or transfixing? Probably a little of both.

[source:iol&wikipedia]