A BRIDGE IN THE CLOUDS

Situated on the border between Southwest China's Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, the four-lane Beipanjiang Bridge has a total length of 1,341.4 meters and a 720-meter crossing. Soaring 565 meters over the Beipan River — equivalent to a 200-story skyscraper — it's the world's highest completed bridge. The structure significantly slashes travel time from one side of the river to the other.

Editor's Note: This new series in China Daily celebrates the technologies, industries, infrastructure and capital goods projects for being the world's most impressive in their class. They are also a testament to the tremendous progress China has made in recent decades on the back of its reform and opening-up policy, as well as the nation's drive for high-quality development and a modern industrial system.

HIGHEST AIRPORT

Daocheng Yading Airport

Located on Haizi Mountain, Daocheng county, Sichuan province, Daocheng Yading Airport is not only the highest airport in China, but also the highest in the world. There are 1,145 small lakes in the vicinity of Haizi Mountain, which are the result of ancient glaciers gouging away at the surface of the Earth.

HIGHEST HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY STATION

Shandan Junmachang Station

At an elevation of 3,108 meters, Shandan Junmachang Station is the highest point on the Lanxin (Lanzhou-Xinjiang) High-speed Railway and the highest high-speed railway station in the world. The annual average temperature is around-4 C, and the oxygen content of the ambient air is lower than 80 percent of that found at sea level.

HIGHEST WIND FARM PROJECT

Zhegu Wind Farm

Located at an altitude between 4,850 and 5,500 meters in the northern foothills of the Himalayas, the world's highest wind farm — Zhegu Wind Farm in Tsomai county, Tibet autonomous region — completed hoisting of all generator units in October 2021. With a total installed capacity of 22 megawatts, the project has set an example for global ultra-high altitude wind power scientific research.

HIGHEST BIG DATA CENTER PROJECT

Ningsuan Data Center

The first phase of the Ningsuan Data Center project in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region was completed in 2021, designating the world's highest big data center as ready for service. Located at an elevation of 3,670 meters in Lhasa, capital city of Tibet, the project is expected to evolve into an international data distribution center and serve global digital needs.

Sources: Guizhou Provincial Department of Transport and Highest Bridges.com