Scare the Pants Off Your Loved One This Qixi With These 5 Terrifying Glass-Bottomed Bridges and Skywalks

Today is 七夕(qīxì), the Chinese folklore-based equivalent of Valentine's Day. According to the legend, the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar is the day that the celestial "Weaver Girl" and the "Cowherd" united in the heavens. You can (and might be expected to) give your sweetheart a gift today, so why not recreate the romantic tale by inviting your significant other to join you up in the sky?

It’s not news that scientists have found a link between adrenaline and attraction between couples – a possible explanation for why young couples so often go see horror movies and ride roller coasters. If you're looking to strengthen the bond between yourself and your paramour on this lovers' holiday, try these five sky-high glass walkways, and hold your loved one's hand tightly while you both look down.

The Shidu Skywalk is part of Shidu Park and makes for a popular getaway for Beijingers on weekends and holidays. In late 2015, the Happy Valley Silver Beach Tourist Scenic Spot added this 150-meter-long glass walkway, which hugs the curves of the cliffside. Its nickname of "the glass road for vows” is quite suitable – if your better half can solemnly make a vow without trembling or peeing themselves while on the edge of a cliff, he or she should be able to handle the strain of sticking to it through thick and thin (and very high up). It's a 20-minute climb to reach the top, and tickets cost RMB 40.

This glass-bottomed bridge attracted worldwide attention when it opened at Zhangjiajie Park in the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon area in Hunan province last August. Designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, the 430-meter-long and 300-meter-high static thrill ride set records for the world’s highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge. Up to 8,000 visitors dare to enter per day. Tickets are RMB 138.

Before the above-mentioned bridge came into existence, the Haohan Qiao (好汉桥, literally "brave men’s bridge") in Shiniuzhai Geopark (石牛寨风景区) in Hunan province held the title as the longest glass bridge after the park replaced some of its wooden path with glass. The bridge sits 180m above ground. The park claims that “the bridge we build will stand firm even if tourists are jumping on it,” so why not test their theory and show your sweetheart your stamina with some sky-high burpees.

Moving back to Hebei, this glass-bottomed skywalk at Baishi Mountain (白石山) is 95m long, 2m wide, and teeters 1,900m above sea level at its peak. The mountain is located 15km to the south of Laiyuan Town (涞源县), named for its vast stores of white marble. The skywalk opened in May 2014. Tickets are RMB 150.

Finally, opened in April 2015, the glass skywalk at Longgang National Geological Park in Chongqing was once the longest of its kind in the world. It measures around 26m in length and is located 1,010m above sea level. Given that it extends further from the edge than any of the other cliff-clinging bridges, it provides a fuller (and even more terrifying) view through its necessary triple-layered glass. Tickets are RMB 60.

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Photo: huawei, baidubaike, boredpanda, ctrip, chinanews