The Beipanjiang Bridge sits over 565 meters (1,854 feet) above the Beipan River Valley nestled between two very steep cliffs, making it the world’s highest bridge.

Also known as the Duge Bridge or “China’s Impossible Engineering Feat”, the world’s highest bridge may not look that impressive at first sight, but it is a testament to Chinese engineering and innovation. Located close to the border between the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, in one of China’s most mountainous regions, the Beipanjiang Bridge required so many design innovations and new technologies that the company that built it won a Gustav Lindenthal Gold Medal, considered the “Nobel Prize” in the field of bridge construction. Completed in 2016, the world’s highest bridge connected the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, opening up an entire area that had previously been inaccessible to cars and trucks.

Photo: Shakyisles/Wikimedia Commons

China’s Beipanjiang Duge Bridge is the first bridge in the world to surpass the 500 m height barrier, which is equivalent to a 200-story building, and the first cable bridge to hold the title of “highest bridge in the world”. Building it was a huge challenge, not only because of the region’s rugged terrain but also because of the strong winds blowing at this altitude. 

Stretching over 720 meters (2,362 feet) over the Beipan River Valley, between two limestone cliffs so high and so steep that the river below is almost never directly illuminated by sunlight, the Duge Bridge is directly supported by cables connected to towers, distributing the load evenly. Too much tension in any of these cables, and you get a wavy bridge, but that is not the case with Beipanjiang.

Photo: Umbra Lab, Inc/Wikimedia Commons

Interestingly, in 1994, China had only one bridge higher than 122 meters (400 meters). Today, it’s home to the 10 highest bridges in the world, and also to more than 50 of them higher than 152 meters. The Beipanjiang Bridge will most likely only retain its title of ‘world’s highest bridge’ for a few more months, as Guizhou authorities are planning to inaugurate the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge next year. It will have a height of at least 625 meters.

For more Chinese wonders of engineering, check out the Shiziguan Floating Bridge in Hubei Province, and the Dadong River Gorge suspension bridge.