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    'Top of the World' Construction in China

    Written by: Xinhua News Agency
    Posted on: October 27, 2016 | | 中文

    The world's biggest radio telescope observation deck

    1. World’s Biggest Single-Caliber Radio Telescope Observation Deck (Location: Pingtang County of Guizhou Province)

    After 22 years of design and construction, the “Heavenly Eye” radio telescope (FAST), equipped with a 500m wide caliber, was officially launched on September 26th. Meanwhile, Pingtang Radio Telescope Scenic Zone (Radio Telescope Observation Deck, and Pingtang Astronomy Science and Culture Park) started its test run on the same day. The total investment of the observation deck reached more than 50 million Yuan. Visitors can look down at the grand 500m caliber radio telescope from the deck.

    What is great about this innovation of FAST is that it makes the tracing of a moving celestial body an easy task. This giant yet acute equipment has received approval from Joseph Taylor, the Nobel Physics Prize winner and discoverer of pulsar binary system, said, “I assume FAST will make many new and significant scientific achievements.”

     

    2. Shilinxia Scenic Zone UFO-Shaped Titanium Alloy Glass Observation Tower (Location: Pinggu District of Beijing City)

    The UFO-shaped titanium alloy glass observation tower in Pinggu District of Beijing was opened to the public during the May 1st holiday season in 2016. The mean structure of the tower is a combination of titanium alloy TC4, alloy steel, and high tensile cable. The mean observation deck is 32.8m long in the air, which is 11.4m longer than the corridor bridge of the Grand Canyon in the US. It has a floor area of 713 square meters and a usable area of 434 square meters, which make it the biggest observation deck in the world.  

     

    3. Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge (Location: Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon of Hunan Province)

    The first alpine canyon cable stayed glass bridge is opened to visitors! Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is 430m long, 6m wide, and is 300m from the bottom of the canyon. The bridge is paved with transparent glass and there isn’t any pier that is made of steel or concrete. It can hold 800 visitors at most. It is the highest and longest glass bridge in the world, and it also stays on many other top lists of the world: it is the world’s first alpine canyon cable stayed glass bridge, included in the Top 11 Most Magnificent Bridges of the World as selected by CNN, the world’s first open space suspension bridge, and the world’s first large-scale bridge that is mainly supported by glass.

    Top of the World Construction in China

    Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge (source - CNN)

     

    4. The Highest, Fastest, and Biggest Sight-Seeing Elevator in the World (Location: Wulingyuan Scenic Zone of Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province)

    Bailong Tianti (literally “the Hundred-Dragon Celestial Ladder”) is in Wulingyuan Scenic Zone of Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province. It is the only path that leads to the core area of Zhangjiajie --- Yuanjiajie. It is recognized as “the highest, fastest, and biggest elevator of the world” by the Guinness World Records. Together with the fish tank elevator in Germany and the archway elevator in the U.S., Bailong Tianti is also one of the Top 11 Most Creative Elevators of the World.

    The elevator is like a dragon hidden in the mountains --- the only way that leads to the planet Pandora. It can reach the 335m tall peak within 88 seconds.

    Top of the World Construction in China

    China's 1,070-foot-tall glass elevator

     

    5. Aizhai Super Large Suspension Bridge (Location: Aizhai Township of Jishou City, Xiangxi Prefecture, Hunan Province)

    Aizhai Super Large Suspension Bridge is in Aizhai Township of Jishou City, Xiangxi Prefecture, Hunan Province. The bridge is 20 km from Jishou City, and is the key construction project of the Ji (Shou)-Cha (Tong) Highway of Hunan Province, which is one of the eight major highway projects in the country. It is a double-deck highway and a sight-seeing thoroughfare, and it features four traffic lanes. Its total length is 1073.65m and its main span is 1176m. It has made four world records.

     

    6. The First All Steel-Tube Concrete Trussed Girder Bridge of the World --- Ganhaizi Super Large Bridge (Location: Shimian County of Ya’an, Sichuan Province)

    Ganhaizi Super Large Bridge is one of the key construction projects of Yaxi Highway and Beijing-Kunming Highway. It is in Shimian County of Ya’an, Sichuan Province at an elevation of 2500m above sea level. It is 1811 metres long, 24.5 metres wide and has 36 spans. Its tallest pier is 117m. It is the first All Steel-Tube Concrete Trussed Girder Bridge in the world. And it has the longest truss girders and the highest steel tube lattices in the world.            The construction of the bridge began in June, 2009 and was completed in April, 2012. It has made four world records.

    The bridge is extremely impressive and astonishing not only because of its “giant roller coaster style” look but also because of the “riding in the clouds” experience it brings to people.

     

    7. The Biggest Gene Bank in the World --- China National Gene Bank (Location: Xiasha Area of Dapeng Street, Dapeng New District, Shenzhen City)

    On September 22nd, after five years of construction, the headquarters of China National Gene Bank in Shenzhen was officially put into operation. It is the fourth national gene bank of the world following the ones in U.S., Japan, and EU, and is so far the biggest one.

    The headquarters of China National Gene Bank are called “Noah’s Ark.” It has an enormous collection of cell samples of animals, plants, microorganisms, and human beings. The gene data it has collected so far includes 3,000 samples and 50,000 genome mutations for the cancer database, as well as a database for birth defect, plants, birds, and crops.

    Top of the World Construction in China

    China National Genebank

    Cao Yu, a researcher of Shanghai National Center for Protein Science, said that China National Gene Bank will collect a tremendous amount of urgenome data, which will benefit scientists of many fields, especially medicine, pharmacology and biomedicine.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021