By America News World desk
October 2, 2025
China has opened an amazing new bridge that is now the highest in the world. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge stands tall in the mountains of Guizhou province, showing how modern engineering can change life for people in remote areas. This incredible structure is helping connect communities while also bringing new opportunities for tourism and economic growth.
The World’s Highest Bridge
The new Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge opened to traffic on September 28, 2025. It stretches across a deep canyon and stands approximately 2,050 feet above the river below . To understand how tall this is, the entire Empire State Building could fit beneath the bridge with about 600 feet to spare .
This bridge breaks China’s own previous record for the highest bridge. Until now, the Duge Bridge (also known as the Beipanjiang Bridge) in the same province held the record at 1,854 feet . The new bridge is more than twice as high as the highest bridge in the United States, the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, which stands 956 feet above the Arkansas River .
Key Facts About the Bridge
· Height: 2,050 feet above the river
· Length: 4,600 feet (the world’s longest bridge in a mountainous region)
· Construction Time: 3 years and 8 months
· Location: Guizhou province, southwestern China
Changing Life for Local People
The most important effect of this new bridge is on travel time. What used to be a two-hour journey through difficult mountain terrain now takes only two minutes to cross . This amazing reduction in travel time is transforming life for people in the area.
“This isn’t the end, it’s the start of a new chapter,” said Tian Hongrui, a technician who worked on the bridge, expressing the hope that this project brings to the region .
The bridge is part of China’s efforts to fight poverty in Guizhou, one of the country’s poorest provinces . By building better transportation links, the government hopes to create economic opportunities for the approximately 40 million people who live in Guizhou .
Engineering Wonder Becomes Tourist Attraction
The bridge isn’t just for transportation – it’s also designed to attract tourists and adventure seekers. Visitors can experience several exciting features:
· A high-speed glass elevator that takes visitors to a coffee spot 2,600 feet above the river
· A 1,900-foot-high glass walkway for breathtaking views
· Future bungee jumping opportunities
The village of Huajiang, which lies beneath the bridge, has already seen more visitors. “We’ve been fully booked for days, and everyone wants to see the opening,” said Lin Guoquan, who runs an inn in Huajiang .
China’s Bridge Building Boom
Guizhou province has undergone an incredible transformation in its infrastructure. Back in the 1980s, the province had only about 2,900 bridges . Today, that number has grown to more than 32,000 bridges that are either completed or under construction .
This building boom is part of China’s approach to economic development. “Unlike the U.S., which already has a highly developed highway system, many regions in western China remain poorly connected,” explained Li Mingshui, an engineer at China’s Southwest Jiaotong University . “What we are doing is to bridge those gaps and work on those weakest links.”
China now has an impressive collection of high bridges. In fact, nearly 50 of the world’s 100 tallest bridges are located in Guizhou province alone . The country is now home to the world’s seven highest bridges, three of which are in Guizhou .
Balancing Progress and Safety
While these engineering projects bring many benefits, there are also concerns about safety. In August 2025, a bridge under construction in China’s northwestern Qinghai province collapsed, killing at least 12 workers . Such incidents raise questions about the speed of construction and safety standards.
Mamdouh El-Badry, an engineer at the University of Calgary in Canada, explained China’s approach: “Over the past 20 years, China has adopted a top-down approach to infrastructure, giving priority to large-scale projects to drive economic development and regional connectivity” .
What This Means for the Future
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge represents more than just an engineering achievement. It shows how modern infrastructure can transform remote areas by:
- Improving transportation – reducing travel time from hours to minutes
- Boosting tourism – attracting visitors with unique experiences
- Creating economic opportunities – helping lift people out of poverty
- Connecting communities – making it easier for people to access services and markets
As the world watches these impressive engineering projects, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge stands as a symbol of both human achievement and the ongoing effort to improve lives through infrastructure development. For the people of Guizhou, this bridge means better access to jobs, markets, healthcare, and education – all factors that can help create a brighter future.
The bridge officially opened to traffic on September 28, 2025, and is expected to serve as a vital transportation link and tourist attraction for years to come .