The 2.5-km (1.5-mile) section of the Xiangshan Cloud Walkway stretching between Xiangshan Lake and the west entrance of Dajing Mt has started trial operation from 6 am to 8 pm daily starting from Oct 25.

A major municipal livelihood project, the 11.2-km (7-mile) Xiangshan Cloud Walkway connects several city landmarks from east to west, such as Xiangshan Lake Park, Xiangshan Rest Station, Shixi Park, Dajing Mt Community Park, as well as Sea & Sky (Haitian) Park. It will feature various public leisure, cultural tourism, and smart experience functions.

The newly-opened section has a sightseeing terrace where visitors can get a bird's eye view of the Dajing Mt Reservoir. Supporting facilities, such as resting pavilions, sightseeing platforms, service departments, toilets, and intelligent micro emergency management stations, are also available alongside the walkway. 

An aerial view of the zigzagging Xiangshan Cloud Walkway [Photo by Zhao Zi / Guanhai App]

Dai Wuyu, deputy general manager of the municipal business department of constructor Guangdong Nanyue Construction, a subsidiary of Zhuhai Zhengfang Group, said that the geological conditions near the west entrance of Dajing Mt are very complicated as the mountain falls sharply. 

The walkway applies a unique zigzag design to effectively solve problems caused by the large space gap, reducing the trail slope and further ensuring security. 

No large hoisting equipment was used during the construction process to preserve the original forests, stones, and rivulets. Renovation and upgrading of the ecological greening and forests were carried out to protect local mountainous natural ecological resources.

Of note, the Xiangshan Cloud Walkway not only functions as a corridor for people to enjoy their leisure time but fire fighting access of Fenghuang Mt. Eight fire-pump rooms were set up alongside the walkway, which have a total water storage capacity of 2,000 cubic meters. Embedded fire hydrants are also installed every 50 m (55 yds) on the walkway.