‘Don’t Look Down’: Vietnam Glass-Bottomed Bridge Targets Thrill-Seekers

People walk on the Bach Long glass bridge during the opening ceremony at Moc Chau district in Son La province, Vietnam, May 28, 2022. Picture taken May 28, 2022. (Reuters)
People walk on the Bach Long glass bridge during the opening ceremony at Moc Chau district in Son La province, Vietnam, May 28, 2022. Picture taken May 28, 2022. (Reuters)
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‘Don’t Look Down’: Vietnam Glass-Bottomed Bridge Targets Thrill-Seekers

People walk on the Bach Long glass bridge during the opening ceremony at Moc Chau district in Son La province, Vietnam, May 28, 2022. Picture taken May 28, 2022. (Reuters)
People walk on the Bach Long glass bridge during the opening ceremony at Moc Chau district in Son La province, Vietnam, May 28, 2022. Picture taken May 28, 2022. (Reuters)

A mountain resort in Vietnam has opened a bridge with a bottom made of glass over a gorge 150 meters (492.13 ft) below to attract thrill-seeking tourists, the third such bridge in the Southeast Asian country.

The Bach Long suspension bridge, which translates as "White Dragon", is in Son La province, northwest of the capital, Hanoi, and bordering Laos.

"I dared not look down as I am afraid of heights," said one visitor, Vi Thi Thu, 22, who ventured onto the bridge after attending Saturday's opening ceremony, which included dragon dancing and ribbon cutting.

The reinforced glass used for the bridge has three layers, each 40mm thick, and can hold up to 450 people at a time, according to a statement from the facility's owner.

The bridge is 290 meters long between two peaks on either side of a gorge, plus a 342-meter pathway on the cliffside.

Guinness World Records lists a 562-meter glass-bottomed bridge in Qingyuan, in China's Guangdong province, as the world's longest.

"The engineering required to build that into the side of a cliff but maintain all the features of nature, the greenery, the rocks, it's been an amazing project," said Glen Pollard, a representative of Guinness World Record, who attended the opening ceremony.

The World Record Association, also a record-certifying body, has listed the two-part Vietnamese bridge as the world's longest at 632 meters.

Another visitor at the opening ceremony said he quickly overcame initial nerves when walking on the bridge.

"At first it makes you panic, but then if you walked over around 10 glass panels, that feeling is gone," said Tran Xuan Tinh, 72.



NCVC Launches One Million Seedling Planting Project in Mahayel Aseer

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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NCVC Launches One Million Seedling Planting Project in Mahayel Aseer

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) branch in Aseer Region launched an environmental project to plant one million seedlings in almadra forest in Mahayel Aseer Governorate, located 80 km northwest of Abha.

This comes in support of the Saudi Green Initiative, according to SPA.
The project aims to promote community engagement by involving local volunteer teams in planting efforts.

The main goal targets reducing carbon emissions, restoring plant biodiversity, combating climate change, and supporting ecotourism activities in the region.