← Back to the archive★ Support my pages
DD-658Locationsalso TechFiled Last updated

Buoyancy Bridge II

Short answer: The Shiziguan floating bridge, nicknamed 'Langqiao Yimeng' after the Chinese title of 'The Bridges of Madison County', is in the Shiziguan Scenic Area, Zhushan Town, Xuan'en County, Enshi Prefecture, Hubei.

It sits on water held back by the Shiziguan hydropower project, which since 2002 has dammed the Hongjia River (Hongjiahe), between steep hills. The deck has no fixed foundation. Pine joists and treated wooden planks sit on plastic floats and are held in place by underwater anchoring. Construction began in early 2015 and it opened in 2016. Scenic-area material gives its length as 400 m, while the official accident investigation gives 318 m, with a 4.5 m width and a 20 km/h speed limit. On May 16, 2023, a nine-seat van carrying eight people skidded through the railing on a bend and fell into the water, and five people died. Investigators found the van was going over the speed limit on a wet deck and that the scenic area had let vehicles above its size limit onto the bridge. The scenic area closed and reopened on December 28, 2024, after upgrades.

VideoWrite-up3 sources

In collections:Places With a Story

More like this★ Support my pagesCite this file

What should you know about Buoyancy Bridge II?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. The Shiziguan floating bridge opened in 2016.

    DD-658-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit A (Where)

  2. The official investigation lists the bridge at 318 m long and 4.5 m wide.

    DD-658-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit C (Size)

Video transcript: Buoyancy Bridge II: A Road That Floats

DID YOU KNOW? The Shiziguan Floating Bridge in Enshi, China, is a stunning engineering that stretches across a serene section of the Hongshui River, appearing to float effortlessly on the water's surface. Built from hundreds of interconnected pontoons, the bridge flexes gently with the movement of the river, creating the surreal feeling of driving or walking across liquid glass. NOW YOU KNOW!

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 19.2s Reel ·

Video coming soonBuoyancy Bridge II · Instagram Reel
Buoyancy Bridge II: A Road That Floats Instagram Reel · · 19.2s

The write-up

A road that floats. Hubei's Shiziguan bridge rides on plastic pontoons.

  1. Exhibit A

    Where

    The bridge is in the Shiziguan Scenic Area of Xuan'en County, Enshi, Hubei, on water held back by a 2002 hydropower project on the Hongjia River.

  2. Exhibit B

    How it floats

    Wooden decking on pine joists sits on plastic floats with no fixed foundation, held in place by underwater anchoring.

  3. Exhibit C

    Size

    Scenic-area material says 400 m long and 4.5 m wide. The official investigation gives 318 m long, with a 20 km/h limit.

  4. Exhibit D

    The 2023 accident

    On May 16, 2023, a van carrying eight people skidded off the wet deck on a bend, and five people died. Investigators cited speeding and lax safety management.

  5. Exhibit E

    Reopened

    The scenic area closed after the accident and reopened on December 28, 2024, after upgrades.

Questions people ask about Buoyancy Bridge II

Which province is the Shiziguan floating bridge in?

Hubei (Enshi Prefecture).

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Where) · Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English); Baidu Baike: Shiziguan (Xuan'en) and the Hongjiahe reservoir (Chinese)

What holds up the bridge deck?

Plastic floats, with no fixed foundation.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (How it floats) · The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese); Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English)

How long is the bridge, according to the official investigation?

318 m.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Size) · Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English); The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese)

When did the bridge open?

2016.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Size) · Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English); The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese)

When did the scenic area reopen after the 2023 accident?

December 28, 2024.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Reopened) · The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese)

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. Which province is the Shiziguan floating bridge in?

    1. Hubei
    2. Guangdong
    3. Yunnan
    4. Hebei
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Hubei Hubei (Enshi Prefecture). Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Where) · Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English); Baidu Baike: Shiziguan (Xuan'en) and the Hongjiahe reservoir (Chinese)

  2. What holds up the bridge deck?

    1. Plastic floats
    2. Concrete piers
    3. Steel towers
    4. Suspension cables
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Plastic floats Plastic floats, with no fixed foundation. Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (How it floats) · The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese); Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English)

  3. How long is the bridge, according to the official investigation?

    1. 318 m
    2. 3.18 km
    3. 31.8 m
    4. 1,318 m
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. 318 m 318 m. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Size) · Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English); The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese)

  4. When did the bridge open?

    1. 2016
    2. 2006
    3. 1996
    4. 2023
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. 2016 2016. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Size) · Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English); The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese)

  5. When did the scenic area reopen after the 2023 accident?

    1. December 2024
    2. May 2023
    3. January 2030
    4. It never reopened
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. December 2024 December 28, 2024. Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Reopened) · The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese)

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Buoyancy Bridge II." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-658, last updated Oct 6, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/buoyancy-bridge-ii/

Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/buoyancy-bridge-ii/ · Last updated

Markdown version

Cite a single fact by its ID, for example DD-658-F01 → https://detailenjoyer.com/case/buoyancy-bridge-ii/#DD-658-F01

Collection · Places With a Story Case file 28 of 83

Next in Collection · DD-659ProsperiTree →