The thought of walking along a five-foot-wide path coiled around the side of a mountain like a python on its prey while suspended 4,600 feet in the air is enough to make many people get a bit wobbly in the knees. But take that same path, and give it a clear glass bottom, and even those who deny a fear of heights may begin to sweat a little.
Well, now you don’t have to just imagine this path, you can experience it. The Coiling Dragon Cliff recently opened on Tianmen Mountain in the southern Chinese province of Hunan and offers tourists a chance to venture along a 100-meter-long, glass-bottomed walkway floating over a 4,600-foot drop.
In addition to surreal views of the surrounding mountainous landscape, the walkway overlooks Tongtian Avenue, a winding, 99-turn road weaving back and forth up the mountain. The new Coiling Dragon Cliff joins Zhangjiajie National Forest Park’s two other skywalks and the longest glass-bottomed bridge (1,410 feet) in the world.
If that still hasn’t satiated your inner daredevil, a cable car that picks people up at a nearby railroad and deposits them at the top of Tianmen Mountain, a ride totaling around 30 minutes from start to finish and one that is said to be the world's longest cable car ride, is also among the mountain's attractions.
Naturally, the first question that pops into most people’s minds with glass-bottomed structures is safety. And in an effort to prove just how safe these glass-bottomed structures are, park authorities deliberately cracked the glass of one of the bridge’s panels and drove a Volvo XC90, which has a curb weight around 4,300 pounds, over it.
They also treated the glass like a "Test Your Strength" carnival game and smashed it with sledgehammers. None of the tests resulted in completely breaking through any of the three layers of glass.
Related Stories
| Jan 28, 2014
2014 predictions for skyscraper construction: More twisting towers, mega-tall projects, and 'superslim' designs
Experts from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat release their 2014 construction forecast for the worldwide high-rise industry.
| Jan 23, 2014
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed Federation of Korean Industries tower opens in Seoul [slideshow]
The 50-story tower features a unique, angled building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) exterior designed to maximize the amount of energy collected.
| Jan 21, 2014
2013: The year of the super-tall skyscraper
Last year was the second-busiest ever in terms of 200-meter-plus building completions, with 73 towers, according to a report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Oct 15, 2013
Sustainable design trends in windows, doors and door hardware [AIA course]
Architects and fenestration experts are looking for windows and doors for their projects that emphasize speed to the project site, a fair price, resilient and sustainable performance, and no callbacks.
| Sep 26, 2013
Literature review affirms benefits of daylighting, architectural glazing
The use of glass as a building material positively impacts learning, healing, productivity and well-being, according to a white paper published by Guardian Industries and the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The findings highlight the significant influence daylighting and outside views have on employees, workers, students, consumers and patients.
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Aug 23, 2013
The Exploratorium’s tall order
The newly-opened Exploratorium has brought energy and excitement to the city’s bustling waterfront. EHDD transformed the historic Pier 15, built in 1915, to a 330,000 square foot indoor and outdoor campus, being touted as the largest net-zero building in the city and potentially the largest net-zero museum in the world.
| Aug 22, 2013
Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]
This course discuses the latest technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.
| Jul 23, 2013
Clearly Protective: Glazing for Life Safety at Seidman Cancer Center
Design team turns to fire-rated glazing for interior doors to give access to natural light, patient privacy and clear wayfinding throughout the building.
