# Buoyancy Bridge II (DD-658)

> 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.

- Department: Locations (also Tech)
- First published: 2025-10-06
- Last updated: 2025-10-06
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/buoyancy-bridge-ii/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **2015**: Construction of the Shiziguan floating bridge begins
- **2016**: The floating bridge opens
- **May 16, 2023**: A van falls from the bridge and five people die; the scenic area closes
- **Dec. 28, 2024**: The Shiziguan tourist area reopens after upgrades

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=buoyancy-bridge-ii

## Quick facts

- **DD-658-F01**: The Shiziguan floating bridge opened in 2016. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Where))_
- **DD-658-F02**: The official investigation lists the bridge at 318 m long and 4.5 m wide. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (Size))_

## Write-up

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

1. **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. **How it floats**: Wooden decking on pine joists sits on plastic floats with no fixed foundation, held in place by underwater anchoring.
3. **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. **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. **Reopened**: The scenic area closed after the accident and reopened on December 28, 2024, after upgrades.

## Related case files

- [One Incense Pillar (DD-682)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/one-incense-pillar/): Another attraction in Enshi, Hubei
- [One Roof Town (DD-008)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/whittier-one-roof/): Another unusual road: Whittier's only way in is a tunnel

## Reel vs. record

- **River**: I found no source naming a 'Hongshui River'. Chinese sources put the scenic area on the Hongjia River (Hongjiahe) reservoir created by the 2002 Shiziguan hydropower dam.
- **Unclear count**: 'hundreds of interconnected pontoons' isn't documented. Official accounts describe plastic floats under pine joists and planks, anchored underwater.
- **Length varies**: scenic-area material says 400 m, while the official accident investigation says 318 m.
- **Missing safety context**: a van fell from the bridge on May 16, 2023, and five people died. The scenic area closed and reopened on December 28, 2024.
- **Wording**: 'is a stunning engineering' is missing a word, and the 'liquid glass' feel comes from the deck rising and falling under vehicles.

## Video: Buoyancy Bridge II: A Road That Floats

- Duration: 19.2 s · Published: 2025-10-06
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DPenEeQk-vJ.mp4

### Transcript

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!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Which province is the Shiziguan floating bridge in?**  
A: 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))_

**Q: What holds up the bridge deck?**  
A: 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))_

**Q: How long is the bridge, according to the official investigation?**  
A: 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))_

**Q: When did the bridge open?**  
A: 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))_

**Q: When did the scenic area reopen after the 2023 accident?**  
A: 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))_

## Sources

- [The Paper (Dec 28, 2024): Enshi Shiziguan tourist area resumes operation after floating-bridge accident (Chinese)](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_29783154)
- [Baidu Baike: Shiziguan Water Floating Bridge (English)](https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Shiziguan%20Water%20Floating%20Bridge/78945)
- [Baidu Baike: Shiziguan (Xuan'en) and the Hongjiahe reservoir (Chinese)](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%8B%AE%E5%AD%90%E5%85%B3/20781793)

## 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/