Ruyi Bridge (Chinese: 如意桥 Rúyì qiáo) is a footbridge in Taizhou, Zhejiang, China, made up of three bridges. It is a pedestrian bridge which was built to cross the Shenxianju Valley and it features a glass-bottomed walkway. The unusual curved walkways are designed to look like a Chinese ruyi.
Ruyi Bridge 如意桥 Rúyì qiáo | |
|---|---|
 Ruyi Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 28°41′08″N 120°36′17″E / 28.68556°N 120.60472°E |
| Crosses | Shenxianju Valley |
| Named for | Ruyi |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Steel |
| Trough construction | Glass |
| Total length | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Height | 140 m (460 ft) |
| No. of spans | 3 |
| History | |
| Designer | He Yunchang |
| Construction start | 2017 |
| Construction end | 2020 |
| Opened | September 2020 |
| Location | |
 | |
Background
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Planning for the bridge began in 2017.[1] The bridge was opened in September 2020 and was visited by 200,000 people by November 2020.[2] Ruyi Bridge was designed by structural steel expert, He Yunchang and made to resemble jade ruyi, which is a Chinese symbol for good fortune.[3] It is a two level 100 m long (330 ft) glass bridge which is 140 m (460 ft) above the ground.[2][3] The bridge was built to be a tourist attraction, spanning the Shenxianju Valley, and is one of China's 2000 glass bottom bridges.[4][5] It is the major attraction spanning the west canyons of Shenxianju, in the Shenxianju Scenic Area.[6]
In 2020, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield uploaded a drone video of the bridge to Twitter which went viral. The video carried the caption: "I'd want better handrails". Many viewers doubted that the bridge was real; Snopes later carried out an investigation and determined that it was indeed real and not a deepfake.[7]
Design
editThe bridge is wavy and has three separate footpaths, portions of which have a glass bottom.[5] The design has been described as three undulating bridges meant to blend in with the natural scenery.[1] Madeleine Grey of The Sydney Morning Herald described the bridge's appearance as a "mix between DNA strand and a futuristic Eye of Sauron."[4]
The bridge designer He Yunchang is the same structural engineer who was involved in the design of the "Bird's Nest," a stadium used for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Godfrey, Kara (27 March 2021). "Incredible 100m 'bending' glass bridge opens in China". Nationwide News Pty Ltd. News.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Newly opened bridge in Shenxianju". The Information Office of Zhejiang. chinadaily.com.cn. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ a b Tandon Sharma, Neha (30 March 2021). "Made from transparent glass this double deck bridge in China looks so scary that netizens thought it was fake and just 'too crazy to even exist'". Luxury Launches. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ a b Grey, Madeleine (24 September 2021). "Build a glass bridge and get over it – if you're game". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Lang, Fabienne (9 April 2021). "Turns Out The Surreal Bending 'Ruyi Bridge' in China Is Real". Interesting Engineering, Inc. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Harano, Lauren (7 July 2021). "This Super-High "Bending Bridge" in China Was Made For the Fearless Traveler". Group Nine Media Inc. Popsugar. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "in a World of Deepfakes and CGI, The Undulating Ruyi Bridge Recently Rose to Internet Fame, But was quickly Met with Skepticism From Viewers Online". The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. Travelweekly. 31 March 2021. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
