Picture this: you step into a glass elevator, the doors close, and the floor seems to fall away beneath you. In less than a minute and a half, you have shot up the side of a sheer cliff, past forested peaks and drifting mist, to the top of a mountain that looks like it floated straight out of a science-fiction movie. That is the Zhangjiajie glass elevator, and videos of terrified, screaming, laughing tourists riding it have been going viral all over again.
Known officially as the Bailong Elevator, or the Hundred Dragons Elevator, it climbs about 326 metres (1,070 feet) up a cliff in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in around 88 seconds. It is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest outdoor elevator, and it carries passengers from a stream-filled canyon floor to a mountaintop plateau surrounded by the towering stone pillars that inspired the floating mountains in James Cameron’s film Avatar.
It is a ride, a record-breaker, and a controversy all at once. Here is everything you need to know about the elevator that has stunned the internet: what it is, how fast it really goes, how it was built, whether it is safe, and what awaits you at the top.
What Is the Zhangjiajie Glass Elevator?
The Bailong Elevator is a giant glass sightseeing lift built onto the side of a cliff in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, in Hunan Province, China. Its Chinese name, Bailong Tianti, means “Hundred Dragons Sky Ladder” or “Hundred Dragons Elevator,” and it is one of the most famous engineering structures in China.
The elevator has three double-deck glass cars, each carrying up to 50 passengers, that run up and down the cliff face. The operating height is about 326 metres, which is roughly the height of a 100-storey building, while the total vertical height of the structure is about 335 metres. The cars travel at an average speed of 5.25 metres per second, which is fast enough to make your stomach drop and your ears pop.
According to TravelChinaGuide, Guinness World Records recognises the Bailong Elevator as the world’s tallest outdoor elevator, and it is also listed as the tallest double-deck sightseeing elevator on Earth. It is, quite simply, the biggest, fastest, and most exposed passenger lift ever bolted onto the side of a mountain.
Where Is the Bailong Elevator?
The Zhangjiajie glass elevator is located inside Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area of Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, China. The park is famous around the world for its thousands of towering quartz-sandstone pillars, which rise out of subtropical forest and mist like stone skyscrapers. More than 3,000 of these jagged pillars fill the landscape, according to Engineerine, and they famously inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in Avatar.
The elevator stands near the Shuiraosimen area of the park, at the edge of the Golden Whip Stream valley. It connects the canyon floor, where visitors walk beside the Golden Whip Stream, to the Yuanjiajie plateau at the top, the area where the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain viewpoint is located. Without the elevator, the climb to the top takes three to four hours of steep stairs. With it, the journey takes about a minute and a half.
That shortcut is the whole point of the elevator. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is enormous, and its most famous views are on top of the plateau. Before the elevator existed, reaching them meant a long, exhausting climb that many visitors simply could not manage. The elevator turned a half-day hike into a ride shorter than a pop song.
326 Metres in 88 Seconds: The Numbers Behind the Ride
The figures behind the elevator are what make the videos so hard to believe. Here are the key numbers, as reported by travel guides, the park, and Guinness World Records.
- Operating height: about 326 metres (1,070 feet), with a total vertical height of about 335 metres.
- Ride time: commonly reported as about 88 seconds from bottom to top, though published timings differ. Guinness World Records has also reported an ascent time of 1 minute and 32 seconds, while the Hunan tourism department has published a 66-second time following speed upgrades.
- Speed: an average of 5.25 metres per second, or about 17 feet per second.
- Capacity: three double-deck glass cars, each carrying up to 50 passengers, with a reported capacity of up to 4,900 passengers per hour.
- Structure: a 154-metre vertical shaft inside the mountain, plus a 172-metre steel structure attached to the cliff face.
Why do the timings differ? The honest answer is that different sources measured the ride at different times, and the elevator’s speed has been upgraded since it first opened. The 88-second figure is the one most commonly reported in travel guides and news coverage, including recent reports by The Sunday Guardian in November 2026, which describe the elevator shooting up the cliff in just 88 seconds while tourists scream in amazement. Some sources quote 66 seconds of high-speed travel, or 88 seconds including docking time. Either way, the experience is the same: a vertical sprint up a cliff that takes barely longer than a minute.
For comparison, think about the tallest building you have ever been in. The elevator climbs the equivalent of a 100-storey skyscraper, except the building is a mountain, the walls are glass, and the view outside is a forest of stone pillars disappearing into the clouds.
The History of the Bailong Elevator
Construction of the Bailong Elevator began in October 1999, and it officially opened to the public in 2002, after about three years of building. The project cost a reported 180 million yuan, roughly 27 million US dollars at the time, and was designed and built by the Rangger International Elevator Company.
Building an elevator on the side of a cliff was an enormous engineering challenge. The structure had to be anchored directly into the quartz-sandstone rock of the mountain, and the upper section is a steel frame bolted to the cliff face itself. Engineers dug a vertical shaft 154 metres deep into the mountain, then attached a 172-metre steel tower to the outside of the rock. The result is a machine that is part tunnel, part tower, and part glass box hanging in mid-air.
The elevator was controversial from the start. Zhangjiajie is part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and conservationists argued that a giant steel-and-glass elevator scarred a landscape of unique natural beauty. UNESCO criticised the structure, and reports say demolition was discussed in the mid-2000s, with some accounts saying it was nearly demolished in 2007. Local authorities pushed back, arguing that the elevator brought visitors and income to the region, and it stayed. Today it is marketed proudly as a world-record attraction, and no second elevator has been built despite the huge demand.
That controversy is part of what makes the Bailong Elevator so fascinating. It is not just an engineering marvel. It is a symbol of a debate that plays out at beauty spots all over the world: how do you let people experience a spectacular place without destroying the very thing that makes it spectacular?
The Avatar Mountains: The View From the Top
Step out of the elevator at the top and you are on the Yuanjiajie plateau, surrounded by the stone pillars that made Zhangjiajie famous. These quartz-sandstone columns, formed over hundreds of millions of years, rise hundreds of metres into the sky, topped with trees and wrapped in mist. When James Cameron’s Avatar was released in 2009, audiences around the world recognised the landscape immediately: the film’s floating Hallelujah Mountains were inspired by these very pillars.
One pillar in particular, the Southern Sky Column, became so closely associated with the film that it is now widely known as Avatar Hallelujah Mountain. The viewpoint near the elevator exit is only a short walk away, and it is one of the most photographed spots in all of China. On a misty morning, the pillars seem to float above the clouds, exactly as they do in the film.
The view from the elevator itself is just as remarkable. Because the cars are made of glass, passengers watch the canyon floor fall away below them and the pillars slide past the windows as they climb. The forest, the stream, and the other cliffs shrink beneath you in seconds. It is a view you cannot get any other way, and it is the reason so many riders film the whole trip on their phones, screaming and laughing at the same time.
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Is the Bailong Elevator Safe?
This is the question everyone asks after watching the videos, and it is a fair one. A glass box rocketing up a cliff at 5.25 metres per second looks terrifying. So is it safe?
According to China Adventure, the elevator has carried more than 35 million visitors without a single accident as of 2025, a safety record its operators point to with pride. The cars are equipped with modern safety systems, including earthquake detectors and emergency brakes, and the structure is inspected and maintained to strict standards. The elevator has operated for more than two decades, through storms, high winds, and millions of passengers.
That said, the ride is not for everyone. People with a fear of heights often find the glass walls and the speed overwhelming, and the videos of screaming tourists are not staged. If you are nervous about heights, there are other ways to reach the top of Yuanjiajie, including cable cars and hiking trails, and the views from the plateau are just as stunning once you get there. There is no shame in taking the slow way up. The mountain is not going anywhere.
For thrill-seekers, though, the elevator is the main event. It is fast, it is exposed, and it is unforgettable, and the safety record is the reason so many people are willing to step inside. The fear is part of the fun, and the screaming is part of the show.
Why the Zhangjiajie Glass Elevator Went Viral
Videos of the elevator have been circulating for years, but they keep going viral again and again, most recently in November 2026, when The Sunday Guardian published several video reports describing tourists screaming as the elevator soared 326 metres up the cliff in just 88 seconds. The reports, published on 3, 4, and 14 November 2026, all describe the same scene: passengers pressed against the glass, shouting in amazement, while the mountains and forests drop away below them.
Why does this video work so well? First, it is instantly understandable. You do not need any background knowledge to feel the thrill of a glass box racing up a cliff. Second, it is full of human reaction. The screaming, laughing passengers are the stars of the video, and viewers can imagine themselves in their place. Third, it is a genuine wonder. There is nothing else quite like it in the world, and the fact that it is real, that you can actually ride it, makes people want to share it.
The Avatar connection helps too. Millions of people have seen the floating mountains on screen, and the idea that you can visit the real place that inspired them, and reach it in 88 seconds, is irresistible. The elevator is not just a way to get to the top of a mountain. It is a way to step inside a movie.
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Visiting the Bailong Elevator: What to Know
If you are planning a trip to Zhangjiajie, a few practical points will help you make the most of the elevator. Ticket prices vary by season and source, so check the current price at the park before you go, and note that the elevator ticket is usually sold separately from the park’s main entrance ticket. Queues can be long on busy days, with waits of 30 to 60 minutes reported during peak season, so arriving early in the morning is a good idea.
Most visitors ride the elevator up and take a different route down, such as a cable car or a hike, so they can see more of the park. The Yuanjiajie exit is close to the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain viewpoint, so you can step off the elevator and walk straight to one of the most famous views in China within minutes.
The best time to ride is on a clear morning, when the mist is lifting and the pillars are visible in layers. On foggy days, the view can disappear entirely, which is atmospheric in its own way but not what most visitors hope for. Whatever the weather, bring your phone or camera, because you will want to film the ride. Just hold on tight.
Key Takeaways
- The Zhangjiajie glass elevator is the Bailong Elevator, recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest outdoor elevator.
- It climbs an operating height of about 326 metres (1,070 feet) in a commonly reported 88 seconds, at an average speed of 5.25 metres per second.
- Construction began in October 1999 and the elevator opened in 2002, at a reported cost of 180 million yuan.
- It connects the Golden Whip Stream canyon floor to the Yuanjiajie plateau, home of the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain viewpoint.
- Each of its three double-deck glass cars carries up to 50 passengers, replacing a three-to-four-hour climb with a ride of about a minute and a half.
- Travel guides report it has carried more than 35 million visitors without a single accident as of 2025.
- UNESCO criticised the structure and demolition was discussed in the mid-2000s, but it remains one of China’s most popular attractions.
Conclusion
The Zhangjiajie glass elevator is one of those rare places that lives up to the hype. The numbers are staggering, the views are unreal, and the ride itself is a thrill that leaves even seasoned travellers screaming. It is also a reminder that engineering can be an adventure in its own right: a machine that does not just take you somewhere, but becomes the experience itself.
Whether you ride it for the adrenaline, the Avatar views, or simply to say you have been on the world’s tallest outdoor elevator, the Bailong Elevator is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Just remember to hold on, keep filming, and try not to scream too loudly. Everyone else in the car will be screaming too.