World's fifth highest bridge attracts extreme athletes to China

World
Europe

‍By CGTN's Yang Wentao & Zhu Qinliang

Following wingsuit jumper Zhang Shupeng's jump off Qingshui River Bridge in Wengan County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, the bridge and the area have been brought into the global spotlight.

Zhang Shupeng prepares to launch himself off the Qingshui River Bridge. /CGTN Photo

Opened just eight months ago, Qingshui River Bridge is the world's fifth highest bridge and the world's third highest suspension bridge. It traverses a 1,400-meter-wide canyon at a height of over 400 meters. The bridge has quickly lured extreme athletes seeking a new challenge.

Qingshui River Bridge is the world's third highest suspension bridge. /CGTN Photo

Ten years ago, the sole access to this isolated area was provided by a narrow, dangerous road. Crossing the canyon involved winding one’s way down one steep side, crossing a bridge at the bottom and then clambering up the opposite, steep slope.

Canyons are often in U shapes in Guizhou Province. /CGTN Photo

"The opposite side looks close, but bringing stuff home from here would take four hours by car," said Zhang Bo, engineer of the Qingshui River Bridge project. "We’d first drive from Kaiyang to Wong’an, and then come back on the opposite side."

The old road leading to Qingshui River's nearby area is dangerous. /CGTN Photo

The tough plateau terrain had prevented the construction of an efficient transport link.

Today, China’s bridge-building technology is developing fast. This has fueled highway development in the country’s west, with Guizhou the latest mountainous region to benefit.

1650km