Featured Image Credit: efired / suraark / Getty
If you're scared of elevators (or heights for that matter), this one's probably not for you...
The Bailong Elevator in China is a glass double-deck elevator built onto the side of a cliff in the Wulingyuan area of Zhangjiajie, People's Republic of China.
Even though it's been around for over 20 years, the structure has drawn in more than 60 million tourists - and is no less popular today.
The name literally translates to 'Hundred Dragons Elevator' and it sits in the centre of The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park - a breathtaking place believed to have inspired the floating landscape of the alien world Pandora in James Cameron's 2009 Avatar.
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The park is filled with over 3,000 towering quartzite sandstone pillars, some standing more than 200 metres (660 feet) high.
As visitors step inside the glass doors and ascend, they can take in the most amazing views of the national park.
If you decide against the 2.5-hour hike to the top of one of the pillars, the Bailong Elevator will take you there in just one minute and 32 seconds.
The elevator became a Guinness World Record holder for the tallest outdoor elevator since its upgrade in 2015. It’s also said to be the fastest, with the largest capacity for passengers.
But this elevator isn't just about the the views - it's still a mode to get you from A to B. And that it does.
The elevator is as gateway to some of the parks' biggest attractions including Golden Whip Stream, Tianzi Mountain and views of the Southern Pillar of Heaven – which was later renamed “Hallelujah Mountain” in honour of Pandora's floating mountains.
Construction of the elevator started back in October 1999 and was completed by 2002, costing around RMB 180 million ($26 million).
However, while many visitors love the view it offers, it wasn’t always welcomed with open arms.
Some experts initially criticised it, arguing that it ruined the natural beauty of the area, especially since Wulingyuan became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
Others pointed out major safety concerns due to the area’s earthquake risk which caused the elevator to be shut down for nearly a year after it opened.
Despite the controversy, online viewers on Reddit can't help but admire the Bailong elevator for both its sheer size but probably a miss for the less adventurous bunch.
"Shoulda named it the "Waylong Elevator"," one replied.
"New fear unlocked," added another while someone else chimed in: "ummmmmm.... Acrophobia + Claustrophobia .. activated.."
Someone else commented: "Nahhh ima wait down here."
