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632 meters long, 150 meters above a deep valley between two mountains
Photo: - / dpa
In a picturesque highland region of Vietnam, a gigantic bridge with a glass floor aims to attract additional tourists.
It is probably the longest bridge of its kind and is now to be inaugurated.
The Bach Long Bridge is 632 meters long and is considered a new attraction of the Moc Chau district, which is popular with visitors from all over the world.
150 meters stretch over a deep valley between two mountains.
Well over 100 onlookers came to the opening ceremonies in the best weather, some from provinces 500 kilometers away, said a spokeswoman for the dpa news agency.
Guinness book chance
"We have already submitted a dossier for the bridge to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records," said Mai Tri Tue, deputy director of the local tourism board in Moc Chau district.
So far, a 526 meter long glass bridge in the Chinese province of Guangdong has been registered as the world record holder.
It just opened in 2020.
The glass constructions have become increasingly popular with tourists in recent years, especially in China.
Dozens of glass-bottomed bridges have been built since 2016, and last year there was a dangerous incident on one of them: strong winds blew away several floor panels, and one man could only save himself by crawling.
The Bach Long Bridge in Vietnam is made of three layers of tempered glass made by French glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain.
Even if a pane were to break, the bridge would still withstand a weight of five tons, according to the client.
Once installed, one of the ways the company tested it was by running heavy trucks and cars over it.
At least 500 people could safely be on the bridge at the same time, it said.
The new attraction in the province shaped by the highlands 200 kilometers west of the capital Hanoi has so far been known for its tea plantations, waterfalls and a bat cave.
Various hill tribes live here.
apr/dpa