Would You Walk Over This?
- Virtual Traveller 86
- Apr 28, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 30, 2020
Day Two: Country No. 6
CHINA 12:52pm
So after a very long and disjointed journey (11+ hours in total) I arrived somewhat jaded in the city of Zhangye, Gansu Province (north-west China). To be honest I think if this was actually a real trip, I would have changed my plans and found somewhere closer to Kazakhstan for my next destination. In fact if I could really afford to visit 26 countries I suspect I’d also be able to afford my own private jet!
Zhangye Danxia National Geopark
I did virtual tours of several locations in China, my first being this incredible geological area in Gansu Province. The park covers an area of 322 square kilometers and contains 2 separate Danxia regions: The popular Rainbow Mountains and the less visited, but just as stunning, Binggou Danxia.
Seven Coloured Mountains (The Rainbow Mountains)
Ice Valley (Binggou Danxia)
Great Wall of China
Jiayuguan is 220km from the above and is the city where the Great Wall of China ends. It gets less tourists than other sections of the wall, even though it is said to have more stunning views. I was a little disappointed by my virtual tour. I had been told it was free but in fact if I wanted to progress more than a few steps I was being asked to pay for the privilege. Five dollars is not much but when I am paying for travel and accommodation...
Fenghuang
Fenghuang stands on the Tuojiang River and is an ancient site. It is located in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, within Hunan Province. Wooden houses stand on pillars high above the water. There are a number of bridges and a Pagoda. It was fascinating to explore it from both the ground level and from a helicopter - flying both at day and at night. A truly beautiful place.
Guilin
Guilin is reported to be one of the most interesting cities in China. It is famous for its wonderful natural monuments and is situated on the bank of Lijiang river in the Southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. My tour was in a helicopter and gave incredible views.
Zhangjiajie Glass Walkway
I have SO been looking forward to this one!
The Zhangjiajie National Park is in the Yongding District of Hunan Province. It is known for outstanding beauty - and for the glass walkway that sits on the edge of a cliff on Tianmen mountain. About 100 metres long and 1.6 metres wide, this walkway has a clear glass bottom. Before you can walk on it you must don elastic anti-slip shoes. Reached via cable car it sits approximately 1500 metres high and is one of three glass walkways in this park.
In addition is a bridge that spans a distance that is said to be almost the length of three football pitches combined! Like the walkway it also has a clear glass bottom...and a bungee platform (don’t worry, I didn’t have a go). To test the strength of the glass bridge they drove a car across it! One source cites the following statistics:
Bridge Length: 430 metres (1,411 feet)
Width: 6 metres (20 feet)
Height: 300 metres (984 feet)
The platform from which to bungee is said to be 270 metres (886 feet) above the ground.
(source: www.travelchinaguide.com)
Would you walk across it? I felt queasy and I was only doing it virtually!
There were a number of other locations I toured whilst in China but I suspect you have seen enough snaps for now! I am only on my sixth country and already I am overwhelmed by just how spectacular God’s creation is. I am also grateful for the continuing donations made to my two chosen charities. Thank you.
3:01pm Exit China #TwoPointSixChallenge
Sources: almost all tours were taken with: www.airpano.com
Also Glass bridge additional tours: BeautytoWatch, on YouTube
Additional Information: www.crawfordcreations.org
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