Vertiginous, a new glass bridge between two mountains in Vietnam

Look well ahead! Vietnam inaugurated on Friday a long glass footbridge that gives the sensation of walking in the void some 150 meters above a lush jungle.

  

The tourist attraction named Bach Long, white dragon in Vietnamese, located in the northwestern province of Son La, winds along the side of a mountain before ending in a suspension bridge that spans a spectacular valley, for a total length of 632 meters.

  

Looking down is a bit impressive at first, but you have to move forward with confidence, and then it's great, Nguyen Thi Trang, a visitor, told AFP. The base of the bridge is made of French-made tempered glass and it can support up to 450 people at a time, while offering a breathtaking view of the vegetation below. By standing on the bridge, travelers will be able to admire the beauty of nature, said Hoang Manh Duy, a representative of the bridge operator.

 

Operators say it is the longest glass-bottom structure in the world, beating the 526-meter Guangdong Suspension Bridge in China. Guinness officials will say next month if they authenticate the record.

 

Vietnamese authorities are seeking to re-attract visitors to the country after two years of Covid-19 closures, which prevented virtually all foreign travelers from visiting Vietnam. In mid-March, the communist country ended the quarantine for international visitors and reintroduced visa exemptions for tourists from 13 countries, including France.

 

Vietnam is getting ready to host the Southeast Asian Games in two weeks, with more than ten thousand athletes and attendants expected. Bach Long is the third glass bridge in Vietnam. I hope this bridge will attract more domestic and international tourists to our area, said Bui Van Thach, a local resident, after crossing it.