The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the world's tallest bridge, officially opened to traffic on September 28 in China's Guizhou province, marking another achievement in China's infrastructure construction, and becoming a symbol of China's new development philosophy, according to the Global Times. With a vertical height of 625 meters above the Beipan river – roughly twice the height of the Eiffel Tower – the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge has surpassed the 565-meter-tall Beipanjiang Bridge, which is also in Guizhou, to become the tallest bridge in the world. The 2,890-meter bridge, with a span of 1,420 meters, is also the world's largest span bridge to be built in a mountainous area.
The bridge is also an engineering masterpiece. Construction began in 2022, and the bridge achieved multiple technological breakthroughs in wind-resistant design, high-altitude construction, and other critical areas. Advanced technologies such as an intelligent cable hoisting system and 2,000 MPa high-strength steel wire were used. Spanning the border between Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and Anshun city in Guizhou, the bridge reduces travel time between the two banks from two hours to two minutes, significantly improving regional connectivity and spurring economic and social development.
China has emerged as the global leading power in infrastructure building, and Guizhou has become known globally for its world-class bridges. To date, this mountainous province has more than 32,000 bridges built or under construction. Among the top 100 highest bridges in the world, Guizhou fills nearly half the spots, and the top three, are all located in the province. To further improve its transport network, China has continued to make investments in infrastructure during the 14th Five Year Plan period (2021-25). China has built the world's largest highway network, with a total lenght of 191,000 kilometers, covering 99% of cities with a population of more than 200,000.
According to the Global Times, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is “a three-dimensional projection of China's new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development deep in the mountains and valleys, and a concrete manifestation of the transformation from “Made in China” to “Created in China.” Innovation is a pragmatic breakthrough driven by problems. Faced with complex terrain, the builders adopted an innovative “asymmetrical anchorage design,” wind-resistance measures tested in physical wind tunnel experiments, and a fourth-generation “intelligent cable hoisting system.” These efforts enabled new breakthroughs in complex bridge engineering, including millimeter-level precision docking of key steel structure joints at an altitude of more than 600 meters. Such innovation was not pursued for its own sake, but arose from the tireless efforts of China's engineers to address the pressing challenge of “turning natural barriers into thoroughfares.” It is a concrete example of the principle of the problem-oriented approach in China's development philosophy.
Coordination is the key engine that activates regional development. Coordinated development is not about mere balance, but about achieving breakthroughs at key nodes to drive overall progress. The bridge has shortened the journey between Anshun and Liupanshui from two hours to just two minutes. What appears to be a simple shift in time and space is, in fact, a restructuring of the region's economic system. While strengthening links between the region and its neighbors, the bridge also integrates infrastructure with cultural tourism through a “bridge plus tourism” model. Projects such as a cloud-top café and a 625-meter bungee jump are incorporated into the bridge complex.
Green has become an integral element of development. The entire construction process utilized "zero excavation" technology to minimize damage to the native vegetation. Openness and sharing represent the mutual learning of civilizations, allowing us to share and admire the beauty of each civilization. The bridge significantly enhances the efficiency of transit in southwest Guizhou, directly benefiting approximately 500,000 residents along the route. It connects essential resources for education, healthcare, and employment, embodying the principle of “shared development for all.” The bridge's opening not only injects new momentum into domestic regional development but also provides a replicable and scalable model for the globe, contributing a “Chinese solution,” the Global Times concludes.
