Vietnam: The longest glass bridge in the world has opened

Vietnam has one more tourist attraction: what is probably the longest glass bridge in the world has now opened in the north-west of the country. The 632 meter long Bach Long Bridge is now to be entered in the Guinness Book of Records.

The Bach Long Bridge (in English: White Dragon) is 632 meters long and is already considered a new attraction of the Moc Chau district. It runs 150 meters above a deep valley between two mountains. Well over 100 onlookers came to the opening, some from provinces 500 kilometers away, said a spokeswoman for the German Press Agency (dpa).

“We have already submitted a dossier for the bridge to be included in the Guinness Book of Records,” said Mai Tri Tue, deputy director of the local tourism board in Moc Chau district. The world record holder is a 526 meter long glass bridge in the Chinese province of Guangdong.

Endurance test with heavy trucks

The Bach Long Bridge consists of three layers of toughened glass made by French glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain. According to the builders, even if a pane were to break, the bridge would still be able to withstand a weight of five tons. After installation, the company had tested the bridge and had heavy trucks and cars drive over it. At least 500 people could safely be on the bridge at the same time, it said.

Authorities hope the new bridge will attract more tourists to the province, 200 kilometers west of the capital Hanoi. The picturesque highland region is known for its tea plantations, waterfalls, a bat cave and various hill tribes.