The world’s tallest outdoor elevator may be two decades old, but it remains as popular as ever, offering views of a national park that many believe inspired the setting for the 2009 movie “Avatar.”
O Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, China, It is famous for its towering pillar-shaped karst formations, and bears a striking resemblance to the floating landscape of the alien world Pandora, which plays a starring role in the film.
The 326 meter tall Bailong glass elevator is built into the side of a cliff in the national park and offers breathtaking views of these karst formations.
It consists of three double-deck elevators, each of which can transport up to 46 visitors up the mountain in less than two minutes per trip.
The elevator serves as the gateway to some of the park’s top attractions, including Golden Whip Stream, Tianzi Mountain and views of the Southern Pillar of Heaven – which was later renamed “Hallelujah Mountain” in honor of the floating mountains from the “Avatar” director. , James Cameron.
Visitors can also climb the mountain on foot, a journey that takes about 2.5 hours.
Completed in 2002 with a hefty price tag of RMB 180 million (US$26 million), the construction was not always celebrated. Local experts and scholars initially criticized the project, saying the structure of the Bailong Elevator, which began in 1999, damaged the natural scenery.
Overwhelmed by debate and safety concerns, the elevator’s operations were halted three months after it first opened. Demolition was discussed, but the elevator ended up reopening 10 months later – a saga documented by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Some 20 years after it opened, the Bailong Elevator has proven to be one of the hottest attractions in the park, transporting over 60 million tourists over the past two decades.
Zhangjiajie is also home to the world’s highest bungee jump – located on the famous Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, which was once the tallest and longest glass bridge of its kind when it opened in 2016.
Source: CNN Brasil
