Built inside the mountain, Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain tunnel elevator, or the Escalator through the Mountain is one of the most creative escalators in the world. It officially opened on April 25, 2015. The opening of Tianmen Mountain tunnel escalator has freed tourists from the sole dependence on the Stairway to Heaven with 999 steps. With the tunnel escalator, visitors can travel among the mountaintop, Tianmen Cave and the Cave Square on the mountainside in an easy and fast way. The tunnel escalator is especially welcomed by the old and the weak. It has significantly improved traveler experience.
☝ The Entrance and Exit of Tianmen Mountain Tunnel Escalator
Tianmen Mountain Tunnel Escalator runs through the mountain tunnel from the Cave Square to the mountaintop. The escalator has two parts with 12 segments in total. To be more specific, the lower part runs parallel to the stairway with 999 steps and has a total of 5 segments; the upper part goes straight from Tianmen Cave to the top of the mountain, and it has a total of 7 segments. After having taking the first part of the ride, visitors should come out from mountain tunnel and walk a short distance to be able to continue the second part of ride.
The total length of the escalator in operation is 897 meters with the lifting height of 340 meters and the total span of 692 meters. The transportation capacity is 3,600 persons per hour one way.
The whole journey including the first part and the second one takes about 20 minutes in total. There is a service charge to use the lower part of the escalator. If you don't want to pay for it, you can just walk through the stairway to heaven with 999 steps to go up and down.
The escalator is very narrow, and each step can stand only one person. Visitors are not allowed to walk or play with others while on the escalator for safety purposes. There are several small open space between segments of the escalator for staffs to maintain order and visitors can occasionally stand there for a short time to wait travel mates and etc.
The escalator tunnel is brightly-lit with colorful billboards hanging on the wall.
It's worth mentioning that because the escalator is located inside the mountain, it is quite cold while traveling. For this reason, visitors are recommended to take extra clothings to keep themselves warm while in the tunnel.
☝ Tourists Are Using the Escalator to Travel through the Mountain Tunnel.
Opening hours of Tianmen Mountain Tunnel Escalator are 6:30 am to 6:00 pm during peak season or from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm in low season from December 1st to February 29th of the following year.
The lower part of the mountain escalator paralleling to the Stairway to Heaven with 999 Steps requires an admission fee of CNY 32 Yuan per person. Ticket can be bought on-site without having to book in advance. No need to pay to use the upper part of the escalator.
