The world is full of weird and wonderful places and landmarks that all deserve to be seen by eager tourists! When you think of a cliffside, you won’t necessarily think of this one or the fact there is the world's longest elevator on the side of it; perhaps maybe you’ll think of the picturesque views, the gorgeous formation of the cliff or the wildlife that lives there. However, this cliff exists, and we’re going to tell you exactly why you need to visit!
Where is it? 🇨🇳
Located in The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, China stands the Bailong elevator which is stated to be the highest and heaviest outdoor elevator globally.
What is it?
Opened in May 2002, standing at 326m (1,070 ft,) is the Bailong Elevator. The name Bailong means A Hundred Dragons in English, which is also known as the Hundred Dragons Elevator. This elevator is a mechanical masterpiece allowing its passengers to ascend to the top of the cliffside whilst taking in the phenomenal view over the surrounding area's massive karst monolith formations. This $20 million investment is made from steel and glass and was built with the upper 171.4 m of the elevator above ground and the rest, built on the side of the quartzite cliff.
Three elevators carry passengers, running parallel to one another, ascending from bottom to top in a short time of 1 minute 32 seconds. In this time, tourists will take in the breathtaking views of the national park’s surrounding mountains and forest.
Why Visit?
Having won 3 Guinness Book of World Records awards, this spot is quite iconic! If you’re into thrill-seeking then this is worth a visit because you will incur extreme heights and, it is the world’s fastest passenger traffic elevator meaning you will go at quite some speed.
How much to visit?
Elevator tickets cost CNY 72 (about $10.50 US) each way.
