The world’s tallest outdoor lift is the Bailong Elevator, located in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China. It is a glass elevator that takes tourists up to the top of a sandstone cliff in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The elevator rises to about 1,070 feet (326 meters) and has three glass-enclosed cabins holding up to 50 people each. It was completed in 2002 and has become a popular tourist attraction.
Bailong Elevator – The world’s tallest outdoor lift
Avatar’s Pandora
Pandora is a fictional moon that appears in the movie “Avatar” and its sequels. It is a lush, biodiverse world inhabited by various indigenous species, including the Na’vi, a humanoid race with a solid connection to nature.
Pandora is located in the Alpha Centauri system and is rich in a mineral called unobtanium, which has made it the focus of mining efforts by humans from Earth.
The movie follows the story of Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine who is sent to Pandora to participate in a program to establish a human settlement on the moon. He ultimately becomes embroiled in a conflict between the humans and the Na’vi over the future of Pandora.
The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, China, is known for its tall, pillar-like karst formations, called “Pandora,” from the movie Avatar. Many say it inspired the floating world of Pandora in the 2010 movie “Avatar.”
Tallest outdoor elevator
The Bailong Elevator in Zhangjiajie, China, is the world’s tallest outdoor elevator. It is located in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area and takes tourists to the top of a sandstone cliff.
The elevator rises to about 1,070 feet (326 meters) and has three glass-enclosed cabins holding up to 50 people each. It was completed in 2002 and has become a popular tourist attraction. The glass Bailong Elevator was built on the side of a cliff in a national park.
120 seconds to the top
It comprises three double-decker lifts that take up to 46 people up the mountain in less than two minutes.
World of the Na’vi
The Na’vi are a fictional humanoid alien race that appears in the movie “Avatar” and its sequels. They are native to the moon Pandora, in the Alpha Centauri system. The Na’vi are tall, blue-skinned creatures with a strong connection to nature and the spiritual world.
They live in harmony with the other life forms on Pandora and deeply respect their environment. The movie follows the story of Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine who is sent to Pandora to participate in a program to establish a human settlement on the moon.
He eventually becomes embroiled in a conflict between the humans and the Na’vi over the future of Pandora. The attraction doesn’t try to hide the fact that it reminds people of “Avatar.”
Admiring the views
The lift makes it easy to get to the Golden Whip Stream, Tianzi Mountain, and views of the Southern Pillar of Heaven, which was later renamed “Hallelujah Mountain” in honor of “Avatar” director James Cameron’s floating mountains.
Hallelujah Mountain, also known as the “Southern Sky Column,” is a sandstone pillar located in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, China. It is one of the park’s most iconic and recognizable features, and it inspired the floating mountains in the movie “Avatar.”
Hallelujah Mountain rises to a height of about 1,080 feet (329 meters) and is surrounded by other towering sandstone pillars, creating a beautiful and dramatic landscape. The mountain is accessible via the Bailong Elevator, a glass elevator that takes tourists to the top of the cliff, or by a network of trails and walkways that wind through the park.
A popular attraction
Even though it has been open for 18 years, the Bailong Elevator is still one of the most popular things to do in the park. Before Covid-19, it could carry up to 18,000 tourists every day.
Controversial structure
The huge building, which was finished in 2002 and cost RMB 180 million ($27 million), initially caused a lot of debate.
A choppy beginning
Experts and scholars in the area were against the project because they said building the Bailong Elevator hurt the natural scenery.
Why is the Bailong Elevator famous?
The Bailong Elevator was built in just three years, from 1999 to 2002. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the tallest, heaviest, and fastest outdoor elevator in the world.
Why was the Bailong Elevator built?
Many people were against building such a big structure at the Zhangjiajie UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the elevator was constructed.
- The elevator would make the site less worn down by the people who walk there.
- The elevator lets people see a lot of the park in one day. This means that many hotels and guesthouses were torn down after it was built. This made the area even more minor.
People can now see the famous Hallelujah mountains from the movie Avatar while leaving as minor damage as possible to the area’s environment. The Bailong Elevator is now a permanent part of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, no matter what.
How to stay away from crowds?
If you want to avoid crowds, go only when it’s busy. Most of the time, the peak season is from March to October. From October 1 to 8, China has a holiday called National Holiday. During this time, millions of people travel. Check your calendar to see when the Chinese holidays are. Each holiday will bring a huge number of tourists.
If you go during peak season, also called shoulder season, for obvious reasons, you might have to wait 1–2 hours to ride the elevator. We can arrange for experienced guides who live in Zhangjiajie and know every secret path there. They will handle your tour’s problems perfectly and help you escape the crowds.
March and April have nice weather, so the number of tourists increases, but not too much. During the summer, the park can get very busy when people have time off from work and school.
Winter is usually the slow season when fewer tourists and prices for park entrances and places to stay are lower.
Up the Bailong Elevator and down the Tianzi Cable Car or vice-versa?
That’s mainly up to you. If it’s very busy, go to the Tianzi Cable Car and take the elevator down since the elevator ride up usually has the longest line.
If there are few people around, it’s a good idea to take the Bailong Elevator up the mountain and the cableway down.
In closing
In this article, we have told you about Bailong elevator. The Bailong Elevator, also known as the Hundred Dragons Elevator, is an outdoor elevator in Zhangjiajie, China. It is considered the world’s tallest outdoor lift, with a height of 326 meters (1,070 feet). The elevator is built into the side of a cliff and offers spectacular views of the surrounding area, including the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thank you for reading the post.
