If you’re a fan of jaw-dropping pedestrian bridges with glass floors and you love to travel internationally, it’s time for you to visit Vietnam.
The bridge, which is named Bach Long (White Dragon), opened last weekend. Since it stretches between two mountains and has a glass floor, visitors can look straight down at the valley floor 490 feet below.
Oh, there’s one more thing about the bridge: With a length of 632 meters, or 2,073 feet, Bach Long bridge is expected to formally be declared the world’s longest pedestrian glass bridge.
“We have submitted a dossier to seek Guinness World Records recognition as the longest pedestrian glass bridge in the world,” said Mai Tri Tue, deputy director of 26 Moc Chau Tourism Company, according to the South China Morning Post.
The Bridge’s Measurements
Bach Long bridge is located in Moc Chau District, Son La Province, Vietnam — 124 miles west of Hanoi. The area is one of Vietnam’s most-popular tourist destinations and is known for its forests, bat caves, waterfalls, lakes, and tea plantations.
Now, about the bridge. The structure can be thought of as having two sections: One expanse stretches 290 meters (951 feet) between two mountains while the other 342-meter (1,122 feet) section runs along the side of a mountain, said Hoang Manh Duy, a representative of Moc Chau Island, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
The bridge’s glass bottom is made of three layers of super-tempered glass panels from French specialists Saint-Gobain. Each panel is 40 millimeters (1.5 inches) thick and clear so visitors can look at the valley floor below.
Now, in case you’re wondering about safety, the bridge can support up to 5 tons, and only 500 people will be allowed on it at a time, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism explains.
A Call For Tourism
Vietnam closed its borders to tourists in March 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19 but that came with an economic cost. In 2019, 18 million people visited Vietnam. That resulting revenue accounted for 9.2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to Viet Reader.
Now, however, Vietnam is ready to welcome tourists again. The country has lifted its quarantine requirement and other restrictions for foreign visitors. The only remaining requirement is for international travelers to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
“We hope the launching of Bach Long Bridge will help our company to attract both local and foreign tourists to Moc Chau district,” said Tue, from 26 Moc Chau Tourism, according to the South China Morning Post.
A World Record?
Bach Long isn’t officially the world’s longest glass pedestrian bridge. Instead, that record belongs to a similar bridge outside Qingyuan in the Chinese province of Guangdong. That bridge is 526 meters (1,725 feet) long.
That said, with a length of 632 meters (2,073 feet), Bach Long is expected to claim the record for the world’s longest glass pedestrian bridge.
You can find all of our Vietnam content here. And for more on bridges with heart-stopping views, be sure to read World’s Longest Pedestrian Bridge Just Opened In Portugal and High Winds Break Glass Panels Of Chinese Bridge, Stranding Visitor.
