China opens longest glass bottom bridge in world

Park officials have said a maximum of 8,000 visitors will be allowed on the bridge each day.

The glass bridge hangs from two cliffs in the Tianmen Mountain National Park, known for being the inspiration behind the towering landscapes in the Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster “Avatar”.

Measuring at 1,400ft long, the structure has become the longest bridge with a glass floor in the world.

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.

In June this year, the glass bridge underwent load testing.

The bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan is 430m-long and reportedly cost a whopping $3.4m.

The Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors from home and overseas in 2015.

A glass pane on a new transparent walkway shattered near Yuntai Mountain, Henan Province, in October past year. Authorities have already conducted many high profile events to convince the public about the safety of the glass bridge. Ninety nine panes make up the three layers of glass, which were smashed by men with sledgehammers in a publicity stunt to demonstrate their strength prior to the opening.