On the final day of the delegation's Guizhou tour (April 26), the members visited the Huajiang Canyon Bridge, hailed as a world first in both horizontal and vertical dimensions.
The Huajiang Canyon Bridge is hailed as a world first in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
Invested in and constructed by Guizhou Transportation Investment Group Co., Ltd, the bridge is a key control project of the Liuzhi-Anlong Expressway in Guizhou Province. Stretching 2,890 metres in total length, it features a main span of 1,420 metres and stands 625 metres above the water. The bridge holds two world records: the longest main span for mountain bridges and the highest elevation, earning its reputation as a global leader in every direction.
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The Huajiang Canyon Bridge is hailed as a world first in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. Photo by Bastille Post
The bridge holds two world records: the longest main span for mountain bridges and the highest elevation, earning its reputation as a global leader in every direction. Photo by Bastille Post
Visitors can showcase their courage on specially designed glass sections, striking poses on the transparent surface while taking in the breathtaking views. Photo by Bastille Post
The VR bungee jumping worth RMB 88 on site, Photo by Bastille Post
Ms. Nie Caiqi, Photo by Bastille Post
Ms. Nie experienced the "heart-stopping" walk. Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Han Cheng, Photo by Bastille Post
The Huajiang Canyon Bridge, Photo by Bastille Post
The bridge holds two world records: the longest main span for mountain bridges and the highest elevation, earning its reputation as a global leader in every direction. Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
After being established, the Huajiang Canyon Bridge has shortened travel time between Guanling Buyei and Miao Autonomous County in Anshun City and Zhenfeng County in Qianxinan Prefecture from two hours to just two minutes. Moreover, it has improved access to major tourist attractions, including Huangguoshu Waterfall, Anshun Dragon Palace Cave, Wanfenglin Scenic Spot, and other tourist attractions, creating a new world-class tourism landmark.
The bridge stands as a testament to China's infrastructure technology and engineering ingenuity under extreme natural conditions. It is not merely a structure of reinforced concrete, but also a comprehensive integration of drone technology, Building Information Modeling (BIM), intelligent monitoring, ultra-high-strength materials, and innovative construction techniques. The construction team overcame the natural barrier of the "Great Crack of the Earth", transforming a formidable chasm into a thoroughfare, a truly milestone in global bridge construction history.
Visitors can showcase their courage on specially designed glass sections, striking poses on the transparent surface while taking in the breathtaking views. Photo by Bastille Post
Photo by Bastille Post
Designed as a comprehensive bridge-tourism complex, the Huajiang Canyon Bridge combines "bridge sightseeing + bridge sports experience + tourism services", setting an innovative model for Guizhou's bridge-tourism integration. Visitors can showcase their courage on specially designed glass sections, striking poses on the transparent surface while taking in the breathtaking views.
The VR bungee jumping worth RMB 88 on site, Photo by Bastille Post
The bridge also offers paid extreme sports experiences, including bungee jumping, sky racing, and a "heart-stopping" walk, with prices ranging from RMB 100 to 2,999.
Ms. Nie Caiqi, Photo by Bastille Post
Ms. Nie Caiqi, a Guizhou resident who experienced the "heart-stopping" walk, said it was her first time visiting the bridge and she came mainly to accompany her mother for sightseeing. She admitted feeling noticeably nervous and afraid before stepping onto the wooden planks, but found that "it wasn't actually that scary". With constant encouragement from those around her, she completed the experience.
Ms. Nie experienced the "heart-stopping" walk. Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Han Cheng, a tourist from Hubei Province who experienced the bungee jump, said that for him, extreme sports represent excitement, adrenaline, and a man's dream. He viewed the bungee jump as a special gift for his 33rd birthday. Mr. Han admitted that he "backed down twice" before jumping due to fear, and that the most terrifying moment after jumping was the sensation of weightlessness during the fall, which made him experience the whole process mostly with his eyes closed.
Mr. Han Cheng, Photo by Bastille Post
Asked whether spending nearly RMB 3,000 for a few seconds of experience was worth it, Mr. Han confessed that he had thought it was expensive before jumping, but felt it was worthwhile afterwards, since he accomplished something he had never done in 33 years. He pointed out that he had already won a "gold medal" of courage after the jumping, proving his own bravery to himself, without needing to show it to anyone else on social media.
The Huajiang Canyon Bridge, Photo by Bastille Post
The media delegation from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, on a "Retracing the Long March" reporting trip through Guizhou and Yunnan, visited Zunyi, including the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall and the Zunyi 1935 Street. In this revolutionary heartland, they traced the historic turning point of the Long March and witnessed how the "City of Turning Point" weaves its revolutionary heritage into the fabric of everyday life.
The Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post
The Zunyi Conference was a meeting held in January 1935 when the Red Army passed through Zunyi, Guizhou, during the Long March. The meeting corrected "leftist" errors in military command and established the correct leadership with Mao Zedong.
The Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post
Following the conference, under Mao Zedong's guidance, the Red Army employed flexible, mobile warfare, securing a series of major victories, including the second crossing of the Chishui River, the recapture of Loushan Pass, and the reoccupation of Zunyi. These successive triumphs gradually enabled the Red Army to break free from enemy encirclement and complete its strategic shift.
The Loushan Pass, Photo by Bastille Post
The Loushan Pass, Photo by Bastille Post
At the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, faded photographs, wartime relics, and time‑worn manuscripts tell the stories of the legendary march. Visitors who linger over these exhibits can gain a vivid glimpse of the rugged terrain the Red Army once crossed, and sense the unwavering faith that carried them through.
The historical objects exhibited in the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post
The historical objects exhibited in the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post
Lei Guangren, former director of the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, noted that the memorial is not a single building but a complex of sites. "In addition to the conference site itself, the former site of the National Bank and the residences of Li De, Bo Gu, Mao Zedong, and others, as well as the previous working sites of Deng Xiaoping and other key General Political Department staff have all been preserved and displayed in their original state," he said. He added that the memorial hall now receives over 10,000 visitors a day, around four to five million annually, making it a flagship destination for red tourism.
Mr. Lei Guangren, Photo by Bastille Post
Kong Xia, a volunteer guide at the memorial, is the granddaughter of Kong Xianquan — the site's first curator and a Red Army veteran. Her grandfather joined the Red Army in 1930 and fought in the anti-encirclement campaigns.
Ms. Kong Xia, Photo by Bastille Post
During the Second Battle of Loushan Pass, her grandfather was hit by six machine gun bullets in his right hip, leaving twelve bullet holes. Since his right leg was ten centimeters shorter than his left after recovery, people called him "Crippled Kong" or "Lame Kong."
After being wounded, Kong Xianquan recuperated in Guizhou and in 1952 began planning the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall. Kong Xia said that Deng Xiaoping, during his inspection of Zunyi, remarked, "Kong Xianquan is the most suitable person to be the curator."
The crowds in the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post
Although Kong Xia was not born in Zunyi, her life has been intimately intertwined with the city's revolutionary heritage. She recalls with a smile how her grandfather personally saw her father off to join the army, who later served in the Yunnan Air Force. She herself never expected to marry a soldier from the first peacekeeping unit of the General Staff Department, becoming a military wife. And her son, after graduating from Northeastern University, joined the PLA Rocket Force. Four generations of her family have carried forward the tradition of military service, spanning nearly a century.
Perhaps it is this revolutionary bloodline that gives her a special bond with Zunyi. She has lived near the memorial hall for fifty years, and for over thirty of those, she has served as a volunteer guide, telling visitors the stories of her grandfather and his Red Army comrades.
Kong Xia recalls that her grandfather rarely spoke of his own bravery, but would recount the Red Army's victories with great enthusiasm. Yet whenever he saw news of fallen comrades in the newspaper, he would sit on his bed for hours, pipe in hand, lost in thought, his eyes filled with grief. "What the elders feared was not the brutality of war," she said, "but the loss of their comrades, one by one."
The memorial hall now receives over 10,000 visitors a day, around four to five million annually, making it a flagship destination for red tourism. Photo by Bastille Post
Watching Zunyi transform from a small town with just two bus routes and a single bustling intersection into a modern city with hundreds of transport routes and numerous commercial zones, Kong Xia marvels at the changes: The city has grown; the buildings have risen. But Zunyi's spirit of "following the path of righteousness and striving constantly for self-improvement" together with its profound revolutionary spirit, remains unchanged.
Not far from the Zunyi Conference site lies the Zunyi 1935 Street, named after the year the conference took place. The street blends revolutionary culture with everyday life, featuring a revolutionary bookstore, intangible cultural heritage displays, and local northern Guizhou snacks. It connects the historic site with urban life, allowing visitors to step into the memory of those pivotal years, while strolling through the streets and savouring the local flavours.
The Zunyi 1935 Street, Photo by Bastille Post
The goods sold at the Zunyi 1935 Street, Photo by Bastille Post
The snacks sold at the Zunyi 1935 Street, Photo by Bastille Post
The revolutionary bookstore at the Zunyi 1935 Street, Photo by Bastille Post
