A breathtaking optical illusion created during a water curtain show turned China’s tallest bridge into a viral spectacle captured perfectly from above.
It looked like something out of a sci-fi dreamscape, a complete rainbow forming not in the sky, but beneath a bridge. A rare 360-degree circular rainbow appeared near the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou Province, China, on August 23, instantly going viral after drone footage captured the surreal moment from above.
How did the circular rainbow form?
The phenomenon wasn’t magic, but a perfect alignment of nature and engineering. During a water curtain display at the site, sunlight struck the dense mist cascading from the structure. The light refracted and reflected through the airborne droplets, forming a full circular rainbow, a sight usually impossible to see from the ground, where horizons block the full loop. From a drone’s vantage point high above the canyon, the illusion snapped into clarity, showing a flawless glowing ring suspended beneath the bridge, hovering over the rugged landscape like a portal in the air.
🇨🇳 A full 360° rainbow showed up beneath the world’s tallest bridge in China.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 31, 2026
The Huajiang Canyon Bridge in Guizhou sits 625 meters above the river, and the rainbow appeared during its water curtain show.
Sunlight hit the mist pouring down from the bridge, creating the…
World’s highest bridge becomes a stage
The spectacle unfolded beneath the Huajiang Canyon Bridge, which towers an astonishing 625 meters above the river below. Known as the world’s highest bridge, it spans the dramatic Beipan River gorge in one of China’s most mountainous regions. The structure, which opened to the public in late 2025, has already become a landmark engineering marvel, but this viral moment gave it an entirely new identity as a natural light show stage.
🌈 A perfect circular rainbow appeared beneath the world’s highest bridge
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 31, 2026
The rainbow appeared on August 23 near the Huajiang Bridge in China’s Guizhou Province. The bridge rises 625 metersabove the river.
From the drone’s altitude, the optical phenomenon looked like a perfect… pic.twitter.com/ZIZQBTDIYZ
Rainbow or a portal to another dimension? 🌈
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) August 30, 2026
A full-circle rainbow appeared beneath the world’s highest bridge as sunlight interacted with mist from water cascading below the massive structure during a water curtain show. pic.twitter.com/m3WlmWirUg
A full-circle rainbow forms right under the world's highest bridge 🌈
— Mad (@littlebitmad) August 30, 2026
Mist from a water curtain show below the bridge catches the sunlight just right ☀️ pic.twitter.com/jqv2mdfmST
This full-circle rainbow looks like a portal to another dimension pic.twitter.com/odwrnZShmZ
— All day Astronomy (@forallcurious) August 31, 2026
A spectacular full-circle rainbow appeared beneath the world’s highest bridge in Guizhou, China.
— Planet Report HQ (@PlanetReportHQ) August 30, 2026
The rare view formed as sunlight passed through mist created during a water curtain display beneath the bridge.
Source: Reuters Connect pic.twitter.com/AWfTVKF0rF
This video isn't AI: A drone was able to capture this Complete Rainbow with the help of the water falling off the bridge & perspective. Most of us only ever see an arc. https://t.co/b7pDDdQ5Bj But optically, a full rainbow makes a complete circle. pic.twitter.com/E6cCUig18g
— KEVIL (@RealKevinNoel) August 30, 2026
Circular rainbows, or “glory rings,” are rare and usually only visible under specific conditions.
