CHINA has revealed plans for a new extreme attraction that will allow jumpers to jump more than 2,000 feet from the world’s highest bridge without a rope.
The bungee jump “without ropes” from the bridge of the Grand Canyon of Huajiang, in Guizhou province, has aroused fascination and alarm at the same time.
Videos of the tests show 100- and 200-pound sandbags thrown into a rainbow-colored net suspended over the canyon.
The bags hit hard as the net extends downward, stopping just short of the ground.
Organizers said it showed the facility was safe, but onlookers called it reckless.
The highway bridge, the highest in the world, rises more than 2,000 feet above the Beipan River.
HIGH ORDER
The highest bridge in the world undergoes the LAST test with a fleet of 96 full trucks
The so-called “ropeless” jump replaces traditional ropes with a large net anchored at all four corners, supported by airbags below and wind monitors on standby.
Officials say people over 60 or with heart conditions will be banned from entering and strict weight limits will be enforced.
Tickets are priced at around $238, a bit cheaper than the regular bungee jump offered on the same bridge.
But that discount did not calm nerves as the reaction online has been scathing.
A Weibo user asked: “If you lose the network, what happens next?”
Another wrote: “Even the sandbags don’t seem safe.”
Others accused the developers of “prioritizing shock factor over human lives.”
Authorities have now suspended the project and canceled its scheduled October opening.
Local officials confirmed that only sandbag testing has been conducted so far and said a launch date will not be set until safety certification is completed.
The 2,000-foot-high Huajiang Bridge was intended to boost tourism and showcase China’s engineering power.
And the bungee controversy comes after the recent opening of a glass cafe located at the top of the same bridge, 800 meters above the valley floor.
The new location offers visitors a “beer with a view” on a four-lane highway that crosses the Beipan River.
Guests reach the top via a glass-walled elevator and can then climb a walkway or book a bungee jump.
“The view from the bridge is fantastic,” said Mr Fu, who works on the bungee platform.
“It’s very exciting: the bridge is very high and many visitors come. Being on it is also exciting.”
Built in just three and a half years, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge spans nearly 10,000 feet between two cliffs.
FOOTBALLER OUT
Soccer star dies tragically at 42 after battle with cancer
CHA-CHA-CHAOS
Strictly’s Amber Davies breaks silence after professional Nikita was photographed kissing her
Each of its two main beams weighs three times more than the Eiffel Tower.
Before opening to the public on September 28, the bridge underwent extreme stress testing, with 96 3,360-tonne trucks parked along it for five days.
