Since a glass bridge opened to tourists in 2016 in Zhangjiajie, a famous tourist destination in Hunan Province in central China, a number of other destinations have followed suit. However, there are no standards and regulations for such bridges.

As of this year, regulation and management of glass bridge projects have strengthened, with some provinces starting safety investigations into relevant projects and some high-risk projects ordered to close for an overhaul.

Glass bridges, built with plate glass and steel beams, have served as a drawing card for many tourist destinations to attract tourists and make profits.

A misunderstanding is that as long as the glass is strong, the bridge is safe. As a matter of fact, the real danger of glass bridges lies in the engineering structure of the bridge. The glass itself is safe but it's different when plates of glass are combined to make a bridge.

Moreover, the competition between different destinations for the length, height and uniqueness of glass bridges has added to the difficulty of construction and increased the risks.

Therefore, it's important to reevaluate the risks of glass bridges before serious accidents occur and ensure tourists' safety.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Guancha.gmw.cn on November 8)