The mist-shrouded "Tianmen Cave" of Zhangjiajie – passing through it feels like entering the heavens

▲ Tianmen Cave is regarded as the gate to the heavens and has become a symbol of happiness and good fortune.

Reporter Li Yilin / Reported and photographed in Zhangjiajie, Hunan

Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan has long been revered as a sacred mountain by locals, with countless legendary tales passed down through the ages, earning it the title of "the foremost sacred mountain of western Hunan." Its most iconic attraction, Tianmen Cave, stands approximately 130 meters high and over 50 meters wide, carved vertically into sheer cliffs on both the north and south sides. Year-round clouds and mist envelop the area, and when billowing fog drifts by while rays of sunlight pierce through the cave, it gives the impression of a gateway to the heavens.

Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park is a 5A-level tourist attraction in mainland China. Visitors can choose between two routes: Route A takes the world’s longest high-mountain sightseeing cable car, the "Tianmen Mountain Cableway," up the mountain and then descends via eco-friendly bus along the "World’s No.1 Highway Wonder," Tongtian Avenue. Route B is the reverse.

%The Tianmen Mountain Cableway is the longest high-altitude sightseeing cable car in the world.

Stretching 7,455 meters, the Tianmen Mountain Cableway operates at a decent speed, with the entire ride taking about 30 minutes. On the ascent, you’ll first see small houses, streams, and farmers leading cattle; if the weather is clear, after passing the mid-station, you might spot a seven-tiered waterfall. If the weather is slightly overcast, as the altitude increases and everything turns white, the sensation of riding the clouds and mist, as if in a fairyland, is both cool and comfortable with the gentle breeze.

▲ %The view from the cable car is absolutely breathtaking, offering a truly unique experience.

At the mountaintop, you can walk along the "Hanging Cliff God Valley" plank walkway, with sheer cliffs on one side and a bottomless abyss on the other – an exhilarating experience. Legend has it that the hidden master Guiguzi of Tianmen Mountain cultivated the mystical Guiguzi Divine Skill and taught it to the locals nearby. Tianmen Mountain is a table-shaped isolated peak; although the summit is flat, it is surrounded by cliffs, making the climb around the mountain paths steep and time-consuming. Thus, skilled mountain dwellers forged an iron cable here, allowing them to climb up and down the mountain effortlessly by hand. Today, the cable has worn down over time, leaving only deep cliffside notches.

▲ %The iron cable path once offered a thrilling route up the mountain.

Another must-do is the roughly 60-meter-long "Glass Walkway." To prevent slipping, visitors are required to wear shoe covers before walking. This glass path, set on a cliff face at an altitude of 1,430 meters, offers stunning views and an adrenaline-pumping experience.

▲ %Visitors must wear shoe covers before walking on the glass walkway.

▲ Looking down from the glass walkway is not for the faint of heart.

▲ Do you think the glass walkway is safe?

The most representative sight of Tianmen Mountain, "Heaven’s Gate Opens" (Tianmen Dongkai), is located halfway up the mountain. It is an underground karst cave on the edge of the plateau, formed through tectonic compression, collapse, and erosion. Eventually, the rock layers on both the northern and southern ends collapsed, exposing the cave opening — hence the name "Heaven’s Gate Opens." The cave is 131.5 meters high, 57 meters wide, and 60 meters deep, situated on towering cliffs where mist often lingers, giving it a majestic aura. When sunlight beams through the surrounding clouds, it seems like a portal to the heavens.

▲ Mist drifting through Tianmen Cave gives the surreal feeling of entering the sky.

▲ %There’s also a convenient elevator for visitors mentioned by many tourists, which can be found nearby.

It’s worth noting that to reach Tianmen Cave, visitors must first climb the 999-step staircase. The layered steps beneath Tianmen Cave are known as the "Stairway to Heaven." However, those concerned about stamina or elderly visitors may opt for the multi-segment escalator instead.

▲ To facilitate easier access, Tianmen Mountain features segmented escalators.

Additionally, in the plaza in front of Tianmen Cave, looking down the mountain reveals a road with hairpin turns resembling a hairpin clip — this is Tongtian Avenue. Though the road is only about 10 kilometers long, it features 99 sharp bends. Riding the eco-bus along the avenue, you can admire the cliffs and also see cable cars gliding over mountain peaks.

▲ The thrilling hairpin turns of Tongtian Avenue.

▲ %The eco-friendly buses on Tongtian Avenue offer amazing views along the way.

▲ Traveling on the scenic highway isn’t scary at all, right? (Image: Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area)