The legendary glass bridges are being closed in China. Maybe forever. Why?

Welcome, Dear Readers!

Today I want to tell you about the sad fate of glass bridges and other glass attractions in China.

I think everyone has seen the most beautiful, fabulous "crystal" bridges over deep picturesque gorges, glass footpaths enveloping high cliffs, and fantastic viewing platforms located literally above the abyss:

These nerve-wracking rides have become one of the hallmarks of China. They were erected for thrill-seekers in the most picturesque places, at dizzying heights. In less than 10 years (since 2010) 2,300 transparent bridges have been built, and this is not counting the huge number of glass walking paths and platforms.

These attractions have attracted a huge number of tourists from all over the country and from abroad. People who are not afraid of heights or lovers of unusual selfies sometimes filled the paths and bridges so densely that they literally created traffic jams and congestions, preventing each other from freely moving and taking the same, stunning imagination of more timid tourists.

And so, last year, these attractions began to be closed one by one, and new objects were frozen. The official version is security check. What was the reason for this check? It turned out that glass bridges and slides are not all that safe. Firstly, the builders did not take into account the danger of rockfalls, and several people were injured by the debris falling on them. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but these cases made us think about the danger threatening from a completely overlooked side. In addition, there have been cases where the glass paths have cracked. Agree, it is extremely unpleasant when you, a frivolous tourist, admiring the view of a deep gorge right under your feet, drop a thermo mug, and the tempered and "absolutely safe" glass cracks under you .... This was exactly the case that happened in 2015 in Henan province.

But the most dangerous attraction was the downhill glass slide in Guangxi province. The length of the slide is 260 meters, and it was necessary to go down it on special slippery mats, using special gloves for braking. The accident occurred due to an ordinary rain, which for some reason was not taken into account by the architects and builders. The descent speed increased so much that several people flew outside the glass chute, seriously injuring themselves. One person died from his injuries.

To be honest, the problems with the safety of tourists began immediately after the glass attractions were put into operation, but the authorities preferred not to notice the problems. And, oddly enough, despite the huge number of such facilities, there are no uniform requirements for their safety in China! And that means that a nightmare can come true in reality, when the glass floor under you cracks and you fly into the abyss! And you will have to fall from a sooooo great height:

Evil tongues claim that the reason for the closure of glass bridges was not only doubts about their safety, but also insufficient profitability. The fact is that after a year, interest in each newly opened object invariably decreased, and the attendance dropped sharply.

Now it is not known whether glass bridges will open after checking their safety and the necessary modernization, but there is a high probability that after 10 years of rapid development this direction of tourism will finally wither away and gradually be consigned to oblivion.

Thank you for your attention, dear readers! Until next time!

The photos used in this article are taken from the site www.google.com