Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge Opens as World’s Highest Bridge, per detikTravel

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province, China, officially opened as a tourism and transit hub after Guinness World Records recognized it in April 2026 as the highest bridge in the world at 626.01 meters above the river, according to detikTravel.

Spanning 2,890 meters, the infrastructure connects Guanling Bouyei-Miao autonomous county with Zhenfeng county. detikTravel reported that the project was engineered to slash travel time across the canyon from approximately two hours down to two minutes.

Engineering the Highest Crossing in Guizhou

Chief engineer Yang Jian explained that reaching an extreme height was not the primary goal of the construction. Building a lower bridge would have necessitated longer tunnels through the mountains and driven up total project costs. The vertical clearance of 626.01 meters resulted from meticulous technical calculations across the 80-kilometer-long Da Long Jiang river valley, which cuts across the Lu Zhi-An Long highway route.

Planning for the site incorporated recreational spaces directly into the structure from the outset. Designers modified wind-stability components to create a 1,411-meter overhead running track, while maintenance walkways inside the steel framework were adapted into a 796-meter viewing corridor. Additional features include a glass observation deck, a glass-walled viewing room, bungee jumping stations, and narrow hanging walkways above the canyon.

Tourism Growth During Golden Week and Beyond

Operators recorded around 3.3 million visits since the bridge’s tourism facilities began operating. During China’s Golden Week holiday, the destination hosted concerts, racing activities, and culinary events. Visitors from Zhenfeng can utilize a shuttle bus service to reach the bridge towers before taking elevators up to the observation zones.

Travelers expressed varied impressions of the site. Cheng, a tourist, told detikTravel that they would have bypassed the area entirely without the bridge. Iseult Alice Fitzpatrick, an Irish student at Harvard University who visited in May, described walking across the narrow suspended planks in safety gear as an exceptionally unique way to experience the terrain.

Local Economic Impact in Huajiang

Economic activity in Huajiang and surrounding areas increased significantly following the opening. Official figures indicate that the region received more than 1.48 million visits since the bridge opened for traffic. This influx spurred the establishment of 124 food and beverage establishments alongside 15 hotels and guesthouses, creating tourism-related employment for more than 2,000 local residents.

Local vendors noted tangible improvements in daily commerce. Huo Zhenggui, a fruit merchant in Huajiang, reported that the faster transport routes reduced transit losses and increased customer volume. Wu Fuying, manager of the Xiyuan Hotel in Huajiang town, stated that weekend and holiday bookings regularly fill available rooms as visitors choose to extend their stays in the area.