“Highest in the world” is a bold claim. Today, we are standing before Baijialou Bridge. But it is not that one.
Let’s talk about bridges. China is home to some of the most impressive bridges on Earth. They aren’t all here in Beijing. For instance, the Duge Bridge, also known as the Beipanjiang Bridge, is a cable-stayed bridge. It straddles the border between Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. It crosses the deep gorge of the Nizhu River. The Nizhu River is a tributary of the Beipan.
As of 2021, the Duge Bridge held the title of the world’s highest. Its road deck sits over 565 meters above the gorge floor. That’s about 1854 feet. The Duge Bridge is part of the G56 Hangzhou–Ruili Expressway. It links Qujing and Liupanshui. Its eastern tower is 269 meters tall. That makes it one of the tallest in the world.
Construction on the Duge Bridge started in 2011. It finished on September 10, 2016. The bridge opened to the public on December 29, 2016. The total cost was about ¥1.023 billion. It took five years to build. Guinness World Records recognized it as the world’s highest bridge in 2018.
Another impressive bridge is the Labajin Bridge. It is near Yingjing in Sichuan. It is a 229-meter-high concrete beam bridge. That is 751 feet. As of 2019, it was among the sixty highest bridges globally. The bridge is on the G5 Beijing–Kunming Expressway.
The Baiwang Bridge is different. It is a historic stone arch bridge. It crosses a stream in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. The Baiwang Bridge dates back to the Tang dynasty which was from 618 to 907. It has been rebuilt many times since then because of war and disasters. The current version finished in 1689 during the Qing dynasty.
So, while Baijialou Bridge may not be the “highest in the world,” it shares kinship with these amazing structures. Each bridge tells its own story of engineering. Each stands as a testament to human ingenuity.