Snaking up the side of China’s “Grand Canyon,” the world’s longest escalator is now taking tourists to a scenic lookout roughly 650 feet above its base at the Qixing Village resort in Hubei province. The newly opened 2,257-foot-long structure is supported by reinforced concrete and covered with sustainable wood and a traditional tile roof.
More than 600,000 people a year are anticipated to take the 18-minute-long ride up the escalator at a cost of $3 per person. A type of climbing vine has been planted alongside the escalator in the hopes that it will eventually cover the structure and integrate it into the verdant surrounding landscape.
This year, a number of Chinese projects have garnered superlatives, including the world’s longest glass bridge, the world’s third-tallest skyscraper, and, arguably, the world’s oddest bus concept.