For extreme sports enthusiasts, southwest China’s Guizhou Province is fast becoming a dream destination – thanks to its world-class bridges that span some of the deepest gorges on Earth.
Since Tuesday, 31 elite athletes from 21 countries and regions – including China, Russia, and Italy – have gathered in Guizhou for the 2025 International High Bridge Extreme Sports Invitational Tournament. The week-long event has transformed Guizhou’s towering bridges into a global stage for BASE jumping, parachuting, and aerial stunts.
“This is my fourth time in China, and my third time in Liupanshui City,” said Russian BASE jumper Aleksandr Dobychin, speaking from the starting point of the iconic Beipanjiang Bridge. With more than 5,500 skydives and 800 BASE jumps to his name, Dobychin says the experience of leaping from Guizhou’s record-breaking structures never loses its thrill.
This year’s competition includes jumps from the Beipanjiang Bridge, the Baling River Bridge, and, for the first time, the newly completed Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge – the tallest bridge in the world at 625 metres above the river. Stretching 2,890 metres with a main span of 1,420 metres, it is also the largest-span bridge ever built in a mountainous area.
“Jumping from these record-breaking bridges is a unique experience,” Dobychin said. “I always feel nervous before a jump – there are no second chances in this sport – but that’s what makes it so special.”
Guizhou’s dramatic natural landscape, combined with its extraordinary infrastructure, has earned it the nickname “museum of world bridges.” The province has turned its feats of engineering into a stage for international extreme sports, drawing athletes who crave adrenaline and precision.
On a misty morning at the Baling River Bridge, 63-year-old Japanese jumper Yasuhiro Kubo and his 26-year-old daughter Anika shared a smile before leaping into the clouds hand in hand. “I love China!” Yasuhiro shouted, as Anika replied, “I love Guizhou!”
Yasuhiro, who has been jumping for 43 years, reflected on China’s transformation. “When I first came 35 years ago, the streets were full of bicycles. Now high-speed trains and expressways connect everything. The change is incredible.”
For Anika, BASE jumping is both a thrill and a meditation. “When I stood at the edge, legs shaking, the world went quiet. It’s just me and the sky,” she said.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge was designed with sports tourism in mind. Its observation decks and high-altitude facilities will soon host paragliding, cable-free bungee jumping, and even running tracks. According to Zhu Junhua of the provincial sports bureau, Guizhou plans to further integrate extreme sports with its signature bridges, offering enthusiasts the chance to experience nature, adrenaline, and engineering marvels all at once.
As the athletes prepare for their jumps from the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge on Sunday – the day it opens to traffic – Guizhou is cementing its reputation not just as a centre for infrastructure innovation, but as one of the world’s most breathtaking extreme sports playgrounds.
