Tianmenshan

NABSQNO 49R 449620 – 3213600

Hunan Province. Tianmanshan or Heaven’s Gate Mountain is a major tourist attraction in the city of Zhangjiajie in central China. The arch, which is the symbol of the city, is reached via the world’s longest cable car which takes visitors to the top of the mountain where, in good weather, spectacular views can be seen. The cable car then descends to the middle station where buses wind up a spectacular road of 99 bends, laid out in the form of a flying dragon, to the arch. A stairway of 999 steps then leads to the base of the arch.

Ancient Chinese records suggest that the arch was formed by an enormous collapse of the back of the cave in 263AD. The arch is large enough for stunt flights and aerobatic teams have flown through the opening including, in 1999, four Russian MIG fighters in formation. In 2011 an American, Jeb Corliss, flew through the opening using a bat suit. 

Officially the arch has a span of 188 ft and a height of 544 ft.