For centuries, the mountainous province of Guizhou in China's southwest has struggled to establish a transportation network connecting it to the rest of the world. But the story is different now. A good number of bridges rolled out recently have reshaped the isolated, landlocked province in China's southwest, leading to enormous economic growth.

Twenty years ago, it was a 2.5-hour ride from Pingtang County to Luodian County in Guizhou Province and crossing the Pingli River Valley alone took 50 minutes. Drivers along that road dreamed of having a bridge over the river, but it took two decades before the dream finally came true. Today, it just takes two minutes to cross the valley on the Pingtang Bridge.

Liu Hao, an engineer working for the Huajiang Valley Bridge, Guizhou Bridge Construction Group, described his project: "Imagine how it was without the bridge. We had to go along the twisting mountain road to transport fresh local products. It took a day, and the products would all rot on the way."

Today, Guizhou has over 8,000 kilometers of highways connected by 12,000 bridges and more than 2,100 tunnels that connect the province and the outside world. According to Li Zhonghua, chief supervising engineer of the Pingtang-Luodian Expressway, agricultural products and local specialties can be quickly delivered to other cities, helping local markets expand outreach and online business.

The bridges in Guizhou have become tourist attractions. Yu Xingli, a staff member of the Sky Bridge Service Area of the Qiannan Business Management Department of Guizhou Hengda Highway Assets Operation Management Co., Ltd., told the reporter, "Around 700,000 people come annually to visit Pingtang Bridge after the 'Sky Bridge' sightseeing service area was completed and put into use at the end of 2020." 

The China Anshun Baling River Bridge International BASE Jumping Tournament is held in Guizhou. (Source: www.dfic.cn)

The Baling River Bridge is situated near the Huangguoshu Waterfall, the largest waterfall in Asia, and the Mountain Lodge by Ven, a folkways hotel on the other side of the mountain. The bridge has become a popular spot to enjoy both natural and man-made wonders.

The bridge was also the first to receive visitors to its internal structure and host BASE jumpers. Additionally, it stands as the highest Guinness-certified commercial bungee jump facility (370 meters), breaking the former record held by the Macao Tower. 

Thirty of the world's top BASE jumpers challenge the Balinghe Bridge in Guizhou. (Source: www.dfic.cn)

Underneath the bridge lies the Baling River Guizhou Bridge Technology Museum, Guizhou's first museum dedicated to bridge-themed science and technology. Zhao Xiong, the young curator born in the 1990s, describes the museum as a celebration of Guizhou's rich history, pioneering spirit, and technological innovations in bridge construction.

The extensive network of bridges has transformed the mountainous province of Guizhou, which now boasts 5,177 miles of completed expressways, ranking second in China in terms of network density. This vast network of expressways, also known as the "plain of expressways," has provided solid support for the province's involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative and the new western land-sea corridor.