Taiwan’s “longest suspension bridge” offers a sneak peek at the stunning Jianan scenery — your legs may go weak at this 1,000-meter altitude

▲ The Chiayi Taiping Cloud Ladder is 281 meters long and offers sweeping views of the expansive Jianan Plain. (Photo / Photographer “Flying in the Sky”, same below.)

By Chen Hanyin / Staff Reporter

In recent years, sky ladders and skywalks have become a trend, with many tourists falling in love with the thrilling excitement of heights. To compete with Pingtung’s Glass Bridge, Chiayi’s “Taiping Cloud Ladder,” claimed to be the nation’s longest single-span scenic suspension bridge, is 281 meters long and sits at an altitude of about 1,000 meters. It spans from Meishan’s Taiping Village’s Wangfeng Platform over the Sanyuan Rainbow Waterfall to Guishan, allowing visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the magnificent Jianan Plain and beautiful sea of clouds.

▲ Once completed, the Taiping Cloud Ladder will be the longest single-span bridge in Taiwan.

The Taiping Cloud Ladder is currently the longest single-span bridge in Taiwan. From high above, the 281-meter-long ladder appears to hang mid-air, making one’s legs go weak just looking at it. Visitors can stand atop it to gaze across the entire Jianan Plain, even catching sight of the Taiwan Strait, taking in the beauty of the valley landscape, waterfalls, and sea of clouds all in one go. It is estimated that within five years of completion, the local tourism output value could reach around NT$3.6 billion, with visitor numbers hitting 450,000 trips.

▲ The Taiping Cloud Ladder is expected to be completed in July this yearand open to visitors before the end of the year.

Located on a high-altitude mountain, the Taiping Cloud Ladder has been reinforced with anti-wind designs by the Alishan National Scenic Area Administration to prevent swaying caused by strong winds. Construction on the Taiping Cloud Ladder actually began as early as 2014, with completion originally scheduled for the following year. However, due to severe delays in the project schedule, it was re-tendered, and construction resumed in August last year. It is now expected to be completed in July this year and open to visitors before the end of the year.

Address: No. 35, Jiayi County Road 162A, Taiping Village, Meishan Township, Chiayi County