This photo taken with a mobile phone on Sept. 28, 2025 shows tourists viewing the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

GUIYANG, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- As the sunset glow blankets a remote village in southwest China's Guizhou Province, over a dozen photographers gather on a rented rooftop. The sounds of their cameras and drones fill the air, all striving to capture the perfect shot of the world's tallest bridge against the painted sky.

During China's eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday ending on Wednesday, the newly opened Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, soaring 625 meters above the Beipan River, has become a major attraction.

As of Tuesday, estimates suggested the bridge and its surrounding area had welcomed over 100,000 visitors.

"From my spot, every shot is a masterpiece," said Xie Chaoqing, a content creator who rented the rooftop for its unobstructed view at a nearby village -- Huajiang Village in Zhenfeng County.

Spanning the Huajiang Grand Canyon, the 2,890-meter-long bridge opened to traffic on Sept. 28, slashing travel time across the canyon from two hours to just two minutes after three years of construction.

Living just across the canyon, Xie has documented the bridge's progress, amassing 4.5 million likes and 276,000 followers online with his daily updates.

"What moved me most was seeing the workers keep working high up there, whether under the scorching sun or in the biting cold," he recalled. Now, he is investing in a homestay to accommodate the influx of visitors and sustain the newfound interest.

Tourism functionality was integrated into the bridge's design from the very beginning of its construction. An area of over 50 square kilometers around the bridge site has been incorporated into the plan for a tourism zone that combines the bridge with tourism, featuring extreme sports, science education, sightseeing and vacations.

Beyond viewing platforms, thrilling experiences such as paragliding, bungee jumping, a high-altitude speed runway and a water-screen light show are also available.

At a local homestay, owner Lin Guoquan was exceptionally busy during the holiday.

He received thousands of online inquiries daily and had to turn down many bookings. Despite expanding his number of rooms, it was not enough. "I even set up six tents in my yard," Lin said.

A former chef who returned home for the bridge, Lin plans to hire more staff and upgrade his facilities to enhance services.

In his spare time, Lin enjoys flying drones with his eight-year-old daughter. "I want her to know this bridge is our generation's dream, and it is her starting point."

Liang Shaoyu, a retired local official, said thanks to the bridge, not only are young people returning, but entrepreneurs from outside are coming to invest.

"It's reuniting our community in a way we never thought possible for a place once defined by its isolation," he said.

The 72-year-old recalled that in the past, only horse caravans passed through here. "I never dreamed the world's tallest bridge would be built right over us. If I were younger, I'd open a shop myself."

The village offers more than just the bridge. It also boasts tourism resources such as the ancient Tea Horse Road, a historic chain bridge, rock carvings, and other rich cultural heritage.

Guizhou, a mountainous province, has long relied on tunnels and bridges to overcome its jagged karst landscape. It now has over 32,000 bridges either already built or under construction, a tenfold increase compared to the 1980s.

With a main span of 1,420 meters, the Huajiang project has become the world's longest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge located in mountainous terrain, according to Guizhou provincial authorities.

For Han Hongju, the chief engineer of Guizhou Communications Investment Group Co., Ltd., the company that funded and constructed the bridge, the pursuit was never about records.

"We don't build for 'the world's No. 1' title. We build it so that people in the mountains can travel farther and live better lives," Han said. ■