The Jembatan Huajiang Grand Canyon in China’s Guizhou province has transformed from an infrastructure link into a tourist destination, recording millions of visits since its tourism facilities opened, detikTravel reported. Guinness World Records officially recognized the infrastructure as the world’s highest bridge in April 2026, measuring 626.01 meters above the river.
Connecting Guanling and Zhenfeng in Two Minutes
Spanning 2,890 meters across the canyon, the bridge connects the Guanling Bouyei-Miao Autonomous County with Zhenfeng County. According to reports from Limapagi, the project was engineered to slash travel times across the treacherous gorge from roughly two hours down to just two minutes. Chief engineer Yang Jian explained that the extreme height was a structural necessity rather than a deliberate bid for a record. Lowering the bridge design would have required drilling significantly longer mountain tunnels and driving up overall construction costs.
Engineering Tourism Directly Into the Structure
Designers integrated recreational spaces directly into the bridge’s structural framework from the very beginning of the project, rather than adding them as an afterthought. Vietnam.vn reported that engineers converted maintenance pathways within the steel framing into a 796-meter viewing corridor. Visitors can also access a glass-walled observation room near the center of the span, a 1,411-meter aerial running track, and high-adrenaline activities like bungee jumping and walking across narrow suspended planks. Suaragarut.ID noted that a shuttle bus service from Zhenfeng takes travelers directly to the bridge towers, where elevators lift them up to the observation deck.
During China’s Golden Week holiday, the site hosted live concerts, racing events, and culinary festivals. At night, the area features water-screen projections and light shows. Tourists like Cheng Guojian, who traveled from Chongqing with his family, deliberately set aside a full day to explore the infrastructure. If not for this bridge, we might still pass through this region, but we wouldn’t stop and spend so much time here,
Cheng said, as reported by detikTravel. International visitors have also made the trip, including Iseult Alice Fitzpatrick, an Irish student at Harvard University. This is a very fun way to see the landscape because we are alone, very high up, and feel close to nature. The scenery is extraordinary, something I’ve never seen before,
Fitzpatrick told reporters.
Revitalizing Local Business and Employment
The influx of travelers has directly stimulated the local economy in Huajiang and surrounding townships, which have logged over 1.48 million visitor arrivals since the bridge opened to traffic. Democratis.co.id reported that the region has seen the establishment of 124 food and beverage businesses alongside 15 hotels and guesthouses. Tourism operations have generated more than 2,000 local jobs. Fruit vendor Huo Zhenggui noted that the bridge accelerates cargo shipments and curbs financial losses from lengthy detours. Now that the bridge is open, the number of tourists has increased and business is better than before,
Zhenggui stated. Hotel operators report a similar surge in demand, with Wu Fuying, manager of the Xiyuan Hotel in Huajiang, confirming that guest rooms frequently book out completely over weekends and holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions About the World’s Highest Bridge
How tall is the Jembatan Huajiang Grand Canyon?
Guinness World Records measured the bridge at 626.01 meters above the river when it established the record in April 2026. The total length of the structure reaches 2,890 meters.
What specific adventure activities are available on the bridge?
Thrill-seekers can participate in bungee jumping, walk across narrow suspended planks over the canyon using safety harnesses, or run along a 1,411-meter aerial track built into the wind-stabilization framework.
How has the local economy benefited from the project?
The surrounding area has welcomed over 1.48 million visitors since the bridge opened, prompting the creation of 124 new food and beverage establishments and 15 guesthouses. Local authorities confirm that tourism operations have provided employment for more than 2,000 residents.