Vietnam’s first glass-bottomed suspension bridge with 5D effects is scheduled to open in the northern province of Son La on April 25 in the developer’s bid to serve visitors during one of the country’s main public holidays.
The transparent pedestrian bridge is being constructed at the Dai Yem waterfall tourist attraction in mountainous Moc Chau District, as workers race against the clock so the structure can be inaugurated before April 30, Vietnam’s Reunification Day.
The Vietnam-made structure, measuring 80 meters long and two meters wide, boasts the world’s state-of-the-art 5D technology with 30 special effects and a photoelectric sensor system, according to the developer, Pha Luong Company.
“We have visited glass bridges across the world and imported technologies and equipment that offer the greatest safety for pedestrians,” deputy director Dinh Hong Phuc told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.
“Before the inauguration, we’ll hit the bottom glass with a mallet to test the bridge’s safety.”
The bridge alone costs VND32-35 billion (US$1.3-1.5 million) to build and the total expenses could amount to VND40 billion ($1.7 million) if additional structures are to be taken into account, Phuc added.
An artist’s impression of the glass bridge in Son La Province, northwestern Vietnam. Photo: Queen Viet Company |
The structure was assembled within just four months from steel and bullet-proof glass, according to Nguyen Minh Cuong, head of the Queen Viet Company, the project’s contractor.
Cuong said the bridge can hold 50-70 people at a time and its safety is guaranteed thanks to considerations from geological surveys and the walkway’s weight.
“Only after the sturdiness was ensured did we begin building it.”
The bridge, called ‘Love Glass Bridge,’ has ten towering heart-shaped structures on a pillar with ten lotus petals at their bottom.
The 5D effects include nerve-jangling glass cracking, heart forming, flower opening and fish swimming.
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