SCALING a gargantuan mountain sits the world’s tallest and fastest elevator – decked out with glass walls for fearless tourists.
Standing over 1,000 feet tall, heart-stopping footage shows just how high the terrifying elevator goes, surrounded by sandstone pillars three times its size.
AlamyAn aerial view of the ginormous Bailong Elevator[/caption]
AlamyFrench climber Jean-Michel Casanova climbs the Bailong Elevator[/caption]
GettyThe view from inside the elevator looks out onto sandstone pillars[/caption]
The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in the Hunan Province of China is home to the world’s tallest outdoor lift that looms over the natural landscape – dubbed the Bailong Elevator.
Aerial footage shows one of the double decker elevator cars scaling the mountain edge – filled with brave tourists peering through the glass walls.
Another clip captured inside one of the cars looks out onto the lush green forestry view where sandstone pillars emerge from the forest floor and tower over the elevator.
The tallest pillar stands three times the size of the elevator at over an unbelievable 3,000 feet.
Sticking out of nature as its own pillar is the Bailong Elevator – built out of steel and glass.
Construction for the gargantuan elevator began back in 1999, and after receiving a $20 million investment, opened to the public in 2002.
The elevator was carefully built into a quartz sandstone cliff face – with tunnels and shafts dug to accommodate all three glass double-deck cars.
In total, the cars reaches heights of 1,070 feet – with the lower 505 feet embedded inside the mountain wall and the upper 565 feet made up of exposed steel derrick.
Like clockwork the three elevators run in parallel – which may distract from the views of the stunning sandstone pillars and the surrounding natural landscape.
After undergoing a speed upgrade in 2015, the cars make the terrifying ascent in a mere one minute and 32 seconds.
And for those fearless daredevils, it takes 68 minutes and 26 seconds to free-climb the upper exposed section of the elevator – according to French climbing legend Jean-Michel Casanova.
Each elevator has a carrying capacity of a whopping 4,900kg, with 50 passengers in each car.
This makes Bailong not only the world’s tallest outdoor elevator but also the world’s tallest double-deck sightseeing elevator.
On top of this, it is the world’s fastest passenger traffic elevator with the largest carrying capacity.
Despite its impressive scale and world records, the gargantuan elevator has been at the front of controversy.
For 10 months between 2002 and 2003, it was shut due to safety concerns – potentially due to the fact it is sat in an earthquake-prone area.
And there were cries from environmentalists after the massive steel mobile was built in a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protected national park.
They claimed that it drew more tourists to the already-popular site – but the elevator’s fans slammed the claim, saying that it had reduced the damage to mountain trails due to the ease of the lift for tourists.
AlamyView from inside the terrifying elevator[/caption]
AlamyBailong Elevator is world’s tallest outdoor elevator[/caption]
GettyIt stands at over 1,000 feet tall[/caption]
Despite criticisms, the Bailong continues to be a vastly popular site for tourists and locals alike – especially as a ticket costs around a mere £7.90 each way.
Similarly, nestled in the middle of a forest, a towering structure almost as tall as London’s iconic Shard rises dramatically above the trees.
But instead of being a luxury skyscraper full of offices or apartments, no one lives there — because the giant tower is dedicated entirely to testing lifts.
The TK Elevator Testturm, standing at an impressive 807ft, is a cutting-edge facility designed to push elevator technology to new heights.
Built in 2017 by engineering giant TK Elevator, the structure houses 12 shafts where next-generation lifts are tested, including high-speed models and groundbreaking “MULTI” systems that can move both vertically and horizontally.
TOP FIVE TALLEST BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD
THESE are the top five tallest buildings across the globe.
Burj Khalifa, UAE
At 2,717 ft tall, the structure in Dubai has been the tallest since 2009. It broke multiple world records, including world’s largest light and sound show staged on a single building.
2. Merdeka 118, Malaysia
Located in the capital Kuala Lumpur, this building is a megatall skyscraper spanning 2,227 ft height. It is also the tallest building in Southeast Asia and Malaysia. The spire of the building was finally completed in 2022.
3. Shanghai Tower, China
Synonymous to the name, it is located in Shanghai and is the tallest building in China at 2,073 ft. It is also the tallest and largest LEED platinum certified building in the world since 2015. The LEED is awarded to green structures that are environmentally sustainable.
4. Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower, Saudi Arabia
A government-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels in Mecca is aimed at catering the pilgrims and its tallest tower stands at 1,972 ft. It is also the sixth-tallest freestanding structure in the world.
5. Ping An International Finance Centre, China
At 1,966 ft tall, this skyscraper was completed in 2017 and is the second tallest building in China. It is also the second largest skyscraper in the world by floor area and holds the record for having the highest observation deck in a building.
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