Just 13 days after inaugurating the world’s longest and highest glass bridge in China, which spans a spectacular canyon between two mountain cliffs in central Hunan province, has been forced to close. The bridge had opened to great fanfare on 22 August.
Officials told the media that the popularity of the tourist attraction meant urgent maintenance in the area was needed.
A spokesperson from the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon’s marketing and sales department told the media that, they are overwhelmed by the volume of tourists visiting the latest latest attraction.
He added that the capacity of the glass bridge was limited to 8,000 visitors per day, but total demand was ten times as much.
The famous bridge also brought renewed interest to other scenic spots in the area.
The six-meter-wide bridge stretches 430 meters over a 300-meter-deep valley between two cliffs in the stunning Zhangjiajie Park, said to have inspired the scenery for the sci-fi movie “Avatar.”
Officials said on Chinese microblogging site Weibo that while there hadn’t been any damage to the bridge, that it was being closed due to the “urgency to improve and update” the facility.
After the announcement tourists complained that they had booked travel to the region and were disappointed the attraction would be closed.
Measuring 430m (1,400ft) long and suspended 300m above the ground, the bridge spans the canyon between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie park.
Six metres wide and made of 99 panels of clear glass, the bridge was designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan
