The highest bridge in the world is no longer just an engineering work to become a tourist attraction in China. Located in Guizhou Province, the Huajiang Canyon Bridge sits 625 meters above the Beipan River and surpassed the Duge Bridge, which until then occupied the top of the ranking.
The structure reinforces China’s leadership in this type of construction. According to specialized surveys, the country concentrates 50 of the 54 highest bridges on the planet, many of them built in mountainous and hard-to-reach regions, where road infrastructure has a direct impact on the displacement of residents and local development.
With a length of 2,890 meters and a main span of 1,420 meters, the Huajiang Canyon Bridge is part of the Liuzhi-Anlong Expressway in southwest China. Construction began in early 2022 and was completed in September 2025.
The practical gain is as striking as the record. The crossing of the region, which could previously take about 70 minutes by winding roads and ferries, is now done in approximately one minute. In a province marked by karst relief, deep canyons and historically isolated areas, the bridge also plays a role in connecting communities and urban centers.
The most unusual element, however, emerged during the work itself. While drilling into the region near the head of the bridge, construction crews found a flow of groundwater. Instead of simply pumping it out, engineers created a reservoir with a capacity of 4,000 cubic meters.
Part of this water started to be used in the support area of the highway and in the irrigation of agricultural land and orchards near the canyon. The rest is led to the central region of the bridge and launched in free fall, forming an artificial waterfall about 300 meters wide and more than 600 meters high.
At night, the waterfall is illuminated with lasers, which transformed the structure into a visual spectacle. The Chinese press already treats the attraction as the tallest artificial waterfall in the world.
The bridge was also planned to receive visitors. Tourists can access, through a panoramic glass elevator, a café installed at the top of one of the towers, about 800 meters above the bottom of the valley. The structure also includes areas dedicated to extreme activities, such as bungee jumping and paragliding.
According to local media, about 300,000 people visited the Huajiang Canyon Bridge during the Chinese New Year in February. In the same period, more than 70 thousand vehicles crossed the structure, which today functions at the same time as a highway, viewpoint and showcase of Chinese engineering.
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