Chinese glass bridge, world’s longest, closes

The world’s longest glass bridge, over a scenic canyon in China, has been closed less than two weeks after it opened after being overwhelmed by a swarm of visitors. More than 10,000 visitors a day flooded over the Guinness record-setting attraction, overwhelming managers who had planned to limit visitors to no more than 8,000, local media reported. The bridge is undergoing “an internal system upgrade,” the official Xinhua News service quoted officials as saying, but did not specify when it would reopen. 

In an announcement on one of its social media accounts, the company apologised for inconveniencing the many travellers who had made reservations to visit. “You have cheated consumers,” one angry commenter replied. “I’m on the train right now. I can’t change my travel plans or get a refund. You have made the world lose hope. I see you are the world’s number one cheat.” 

Some 430 metres (1,400 feet) long and suspended 300 metres above the earth, the bridge spans the canyon between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie park in China’s central Hunan province.

The nature reserve is known for its out of the world natural beauty. Famous for its precipitous cloud-wreathed mountains, it is a UNESCO world heritage site that reportedly inspired the landscapes of James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster Avatar.