World’s highest bridge at 2,050 feet turns advanced steel truss into extreme tourism hub

The 9,482-foot-long Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in China has become a tourist attraction, with a glass observation hall, a narrow plank walk over the canyon, bungee jumping, and nighttime light shows.

Originally designed to reduce a two-hour canyon crossing to just two minutes, it connects Guanling Bouyei-Miao Autonomous County with Zhenfeng County. In April 2026, c certified it as the world’s highest bridge, at 2,054 feet above the river below.

Now, the bridge is a destination for sightseeing, adventure sports, and local tourism. During China’s recent week-long National Day Holiday, it drew thousands of visitors, highlighting the bridge as a tourist attraction that was always part of the plan.

From engineering landmark to tourist attraction

Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge opened to traffic on September 28, 2025, after three years of construction, according to Smithsonian Magazine, which reported on the opening on October 1, 2025.

It surpassed the Beipanjiang Bridge, also known as the Duge Bridge which had held the world record since 2016 at about 1,854 feet above the river.

The new bridge stood even taller at about 2,054 feet above the Beipan River. The entire Empire State Building could fit beneath it with about 600 feet to spare, as per the Smithsonian. The height was not really the point though.

Chief engineer Yang Jian told Xinhua that they designed the bridge so high because if it were any shorter, they would have had to construct longer tunnels through the surrounding mountains, increasing costs and even contributing to driver fatigue.

The design came from the need to balance the bridge length with the connecting tunnels, which is why it ended up so high. Tourism had long been integrated into the overall plan. Planners had assigned 50 square kilometers (19.31 square miles) around the bridge for that purpose. A maintenance passage was converted into a 2,611.55-foot sightseeing corridor. Engineers also incorporated a glass observation hall, an aerial sports platform, and a 1,411-meter (4,629 feet) elevated running track.

Visitors can now take elevators into the bridge, walk along its sightseeing corridor and look out across the canyon above the river. Activities include bungee jumping, a suspended narrow plank walkway, and running along the elevated track. At night, water screen and light shows illuminate the bridge.

For a special event such as the National Day Holiday, the bridge organized concerts, racing activities, and food events.

Bungee jumping and glass observation decks

The project has recorded about 3.3 million visits thus far, according to Xinhua. Some visitors have traveled considerable distances to experience the attractions.

The bridge’s popularity has boosted tourism in the surrounding areas. Huajiang Township and nearby areas have received more than 1.48 million visits.

Local businesses have benefited from improved transportation connections, and hotels are experiencing similar benefits.

“Now that the bridge is open, rooms are often fully booked on weekends and public holidays. Visitors are coming, and they are willing to stay,” Wu Fuying, manager of Xiyuan Hotel in Huajiang Township told Xinhua.

The bridge appears to be a win-win, facilitating transport and bringing tourists to the surrounding region in China, with visitors arriving to experience both the record-breaking structure and its range of attractions planned for the site.