Glass trail of fear height 1430 meters. Where is the path of fear? How to get to the "Trail of Terror"

Address: China, Hunan Province
Height: 1519 m
Main attractions: glass path, cable car, Heaven's Gate Arch, Tianmenshan Temple
Coordinates: 29°03"04.3"N 110°29"02.3"E

China has always attracted the attention of not only travelers from all over our vast planet, but also historians, archaeologists, geologists, linguists and other scientists.

Northern Gate to Tianmen Mountain National Park

There is nothing surprising: great amount sights built by human hands and created by nature itself, a lot of mysteries, myths and legends that envelop this mysterious country, simply cannot fail to arouse the interest of an educated person. China currently has a huge number architectural structures, which according to one or another parameter are included in the legendary Guinness Book of Records. If a tourist is brought to the Celestial Empire, he should definitely try to set aside time and visit the small, of course, by Chinese standards, town of Zhangjiajie, more precisely, Tianmen Mountain, which is located only eight kilometers from the village.

Anyone who has visited Mount Tianmen has touched heaven. These are not just beautiful words from a tourist brochure, the purpose of which is to draw attention to the sights of China: on Mount Tianmen there are the real “Gateway to Heaven”! By the way, the “Gateway to Heaven” is a cave formed as a result of the fall of a huge piece of rock. This real natural miracle was formed relatively recently, “only” in 263 AD. Most Chinese do not like the name “Gateway to Heaven” and call their place, permeated with an atmosphere of mysticism, “the magic cave of Western Hunan.”

General view of the road "Heavenly Highway"

Of particular interest is the fact that Mount Tianmen, which is crowded almost every day of the year, is considered the first mountain in national park, starting just outside the city limits of Zhangjiajie, officially measured by scientists. Its height is determined to the nearest centimeter: 1,518 meters and 60 centimeters. Such an accurate measurement was made possible thanks to the painstaking work of many specialists and special measuring equipment.

If anyone thinks that Tianmen Mountain itself is the main attraction of the National Park, he is, of course, right, but only partly. The thing is that on the mountain itself there are several objects built by human hands, and which can safely be called the very best. The longest, the most winding and even the most terrible! However, Tianmen Mountain and its attractions deserve special attention, and each of them should be discussed in detail.

View of the serpentine

Many tourists who are just planning a trip to China and an excursion to Tianmen can conclude from the beginning of this material that the mountain, 1,518 meters and 60 centimeters high, is ready to be conquered by anyone. However, this opinion is wrong, and the height of the mountain has nothing to do with it: climbing the mountain near the city of Zhangjiajie is a real test for physically resilient and strong-willed people. This already becomes clear the moment Tianmen can be seen from the window of a car or a tour bus.

Tianmen Mountain - legends, myths and stubborn facts

“Why is Tianmen Mountain famous throughout the world?” a tourist who has never been to the Celestial Empire or simply has not visited Zhangjiajie may ask. Naturally, its height cannot be compared with the snow-capped Alps or the mighty Everest. However, its popularity is still inextricably linked with height. The thing is that it is on Mount Tianmen that there is an amazingly beautiful cave, which is currently recognized as the highest in the world. We are not even talking about its size, but about the height above sea level at which it was formed as a result of erosion. As mentioned above, thanks to the Chinese habit of keeping chronicles, it is reliably known that the cave was formed in the year 263, when a huge piece of rock fell off from Tianmen. The length of this cave is 60 meters, the width is about 57 meters, and the height is 131 and a half meters.

Cable car to Tianmen Mountain

The fact that this cave is located so high above sea level and the fact that it is impressive in size does not at all explain its popularity among the thousands of tourists who come to Zhangjiajie every year to see with their own eyes one of the greatest miracles nature. The climate in the National Park, in which Tianmen Mountain itself rises, contributes to the constant formation of clouds. As mentioned above, the cave is located very high, so it is constantly shrouded in clouds. Even the most inveterate skeptic who has risen to this mysterious and mystical place, it seems that he is about to go to... heaven. It is for this reason that the cave on Mount Tianmen got its name “Heavenly Gate”.

By the way, many Chinese consider this mountain to be almost the most sacred place in their country. According to legend, the mountain is truly connected with the sky and has enormous power. She is able not only to influence the destinies of people, but also to predict significant events in the country and show real miracles to everyone. The chronicles more than once describe mysterious phenomena that occurred on the mountain at different periods of time. These ancient documents can be viewed with skepticism and even a bit of irony, but, as they say, facts are stubborn things.

View of the cable car cabins

Already in the 20th century, four inexplicable miracles occurred on Mount Tianmen at once, which plunged the specialists observing them into a state of stupor. In 1949, when China appeared on the world map People's Republic, a powerful waterfall gushed from the top of the mountain, which lasted only 15 minutes. “This is probably some kind of coincidence,” a person who does not believe in the world of the supernatural might think. However, exactly the same miracles occurred just before the death of Mao Zedong, during the suppression of a student rally in the capital of the Celestial Empire and before the devastating flood of 1998. When something happens only once, it can be called an accident, but when manifestations of the supernatural occur with enviable regularity, it cannot even be called a coincidence. By the way, numerous scientists observed the last three events, all of them, without exception, threw up their hands and came to the consensus that it is impossible to explain the phenomenon of Tianmen Mountain from a scientific point of view.

Mysterious natural phenomena happening on mysterious grief- not the only thing that excites the minds of researchers and tourists. There is a legend, not even a legend, but a legend that is passed down from generation to generation: it says that a priceless treasure is hidden on the mystical Tianmen.

View of the Heaven's Gate Arch

A huge amount of gold, silver, precious stones, the ancient tomes were hidden on the mountain by one of the peasants during the uprising against the atrocities committed in the Celestial Empire by the Ming Dynasty. Numerous archaeological expeditions did not bring results. More precisely, during the research the treasure was not found, but scientists practically managed to prove that the treasures on Tianmen were indeed hidden in ancient times. By the way, these days on the mountain you can often meet numerous “fortune hunters” who are trying to find countless treasures that previously belonged to the powerful Ming dynasty.

Walking path along the mountain range

Perhaps it is on the territory of this Buddhist temple that priceless treasures are hidden? The answer to this question, most likely, will not be found in the near future. All attempts by scientists to conduct research and excavations on its territory ended in failure. Monks prohibit any work on land sacred to every Buddhist. By the way, the Chinese government will also not allow research to be carried out in the monastery just because it is located on the territory of the National Park.

The Tianmen Mountain Climb or Challenge is not for the faint of heart

There are three ways to get to the Gate to Heaven cave. The first of them is the least tiring: the tourist is invited to cover the distance to the natural wonder of the world on the “most ordinary” cable car. By the way, it is ordinary only in that it has all the components that are typical for any cable car. And almost all of its parts are made not in China, but in France, so it is absolutely safe. However, it is worth considering that traveling in a cabin will take quite a long time: The Tianmen cable car is considered the longest in the world and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Its length is almost 7.5 kilometers. It is also worth considering that most of the path will lie over the abyss. Scary? Scary only for those who have not climbed to the top of the mountain along a hiking trail and a motorway!

Glass trail

Highway has its own name: “the road of 99 turns.” By the way, you can also walk along it. It is 11 kilometers long and actually has 99 turns. This road, which will take almost all the strength of even a physically resilient traveler, was built by the Chinese in 8 years, which can safely be called a feat. The same feat as climbing Mount Tianmen on foot. Those tourists who climbed to the top of the mountain without a car face another challenge: to approach the “Gateway to Heaven” cave they will have to climb another 999 steps. It is worth noting that the number 9 constantly appears on Tianmen Mountain. By the way, “nine” is sacred to every Chinese; according to Taoist teaching, this is the last number that the human brain is able to understand, comprehend and perceive.

After hiking to the “Gateway to Heaven,” travelers usually no longer have the strength to descend. Enterprising Chinese have solved this problem: buses constantly run from the top along the “99 turns” road. Traveling by bus or car, by the way, also turns into a difficult test; the distance between sharp turns in some places on the road does not exceed 200 meters! True, after visiting the highest naturally formed cave in the world, you should not rush to leave Tianmen Mountain. There is another test here that is recommended only for people with a stable psyche and a strong nervous system.

Glass Trail of Tianmen Mountain

For those travelers who want to get another huge dose of adrenaline after climbing the mountain, the Chinese offer a walk along the Tianmen glass trail. Its length is about 70 meters, but it has long been called the “trail of horror” among tourists. The “bridge”, located at an altitude of 1,400 meters above sea level, is made of... real glass. A glass floor, a glass side, a sheer cliff on one side, and a bottomless abyss underfoot. Looking at the photo of the Tianmen glass trail, many claim that they could easily pass this test. However, such bravado quickly ends when the tourist has to go through this “attraction” and prove his fearlessness. Many people try to walk along the glass path right next to the rock, although it is so smooth in this place that there is nothing to grab onto. Only a few dare to approach the side. Some daredevils, having barely stepped on the glass, which is only 6 centimeters thick, immediately abandon the idea of looking into the abyss under their feet. The Chinese constantly monitor the legendary trail and clear it of dust. Therefore, any person has the impression that he is walking through the air and could fall down at any moment. Certain problems are also caused by the fact that you can walk along the glass path only in special shoe covers made of fabric. This rule exists in order to avoid the appearance of stains and dirt on the glass floor, but the fabric slips so treacherously...

The attraction, which bears the promising name “Trail of Fear,” is located in China, in Zhangjiajie National Park. This park is located in the southeast of the country, in Hunan province, in the Wulingyuan Mountains.

How to get to the "Trail of Terror"

The “Path of Fear” attraction was built in 2001 – not so long ago, but has already gained popularity among tourists. Of course, not everyone dares to visit it.

It is a bridge in the form of a path, installed on Tianmen Mountain at an altitude of 1430 m. The length of the path is 60 m.
Walking across the bridge at such a height is already quite a serious test. The situation is aggravated by the fact that all parts of the bridge - both the walkway and the side - are made of transparent glass. Of course, this glass is durable, its thickness is 6 cm, it cannot break from steps, and yet walking along the bridge, seeing the abyss at your feet, is not a feeling for the faint of heart. Not every traveler has the courage to take such a walk, but those who dare will be fully rewarded: the most beautiful panorama opens from the bridge.

However, even if the visitor loses his nerve, he has nothing to fear. Along the entire bridge there are guards on duty with experience in the field extreme species sports They are ready at any time to help a person who has become ill.

Before setting foot on the Trail of Terror, visitors must put on shoe covers, otherwise they may accidentally scratch the glass with their shoes, and the presence of scratches will ruin the whole experience - because then the bridge will no longer seem completely transparent.

How to get on the "Path of Fear"

There are three ways to get to this unusual attraction, and all of them are a great addition to a walk along the bridge.
Anyone who is in good physical condition can climb the 999-step staircase. The Chinese call it “Stairway to Heaven”.

Another way is “Road”. This is the name of the road along which professional racers take tourists for a fee. On this route the car goes through 99 turns. It is easy to see that here, as in the case of the stairs, the number is based on the number 9, which is considered sacred in China. The road is the most comfortable way, but not the safest, it is a real extreme route, in some places the car passes just a few centimeters from the abyss. After such an exhilarating ride, walking along the “Trail of Fear” will no longer be so scary.

Finally, you can take advantage of the 7.5 km long cable car. This is the longest cable car in the world.

“Trail of Fear” - a glass road over an abyss, one of the main attractions of China

China has always attracted the attention of not only travelers from all over our vast planet, but also historians, archaeologists, geologists, linguists and other scientists.

This is not surprising: a huge number of attractions built by human hands and created by nature itself, a lot of mysteries, myths and legends that envelop this mysterious country, simply cannot but arouse the interest of an educated person. In China at the moment there are a huge number of architectural structures that, for one reason or another, are included in the legendary Guinness Book of Records.

Description

Tianmen Mountain is one of the famous landmarks in the southern Chinese province of Hunan. To the amusement of brave tourists, another attraction opened there on Monday, the third of its kind. There was a narrow glass walkway built right around the sheer cliff. From the abyss more than a kilometer high, those who want to tickle their nerves are separated only by a low (and also glass) side.

Previously, a wooden bridge was built in this place, but the administration of Tianmen Mountain National Park decided to worsen the experience of visitors to the attraction by replacing it with a glass path.

The length of the structure, clinging to a rocky cliff, is one hundred meters, and the width is only one and a half meters. Daredevils who dare to test the path will be able to enjoy magnificent panoramas of mountain valleys from a height of 1.4 kilometers. New attraction- This is the third glass path around Tianmen Mountain. Its two predecessors, the first of which opened in 2011, are very popular among numerous visitors to the national park.

Peculiarities

Certain problems are also caused by the fact that you can walk along the glass path only in special shoe covers made of fabric. This rule exists in order to avoid the appearance of stains and dirt on the glass floor, but the fabric slips so treacherously...

The caretakers who keep order on the glass trail are fluent in English language. They warn all tourists that the passage along the Tianmen glass path is designed for people with a strong nervous system. Moreover, they strongly do not recommend looking down during a short walk: there are often cases when tourists who overestimated their nervous system fainted right in the middle of the attraction.

By the way, from this path there is a stunning view of the stone pillars, which, like Tianmen Mountain, are part of the National Park. Surprisingly, these pillars can even be seen in a feature film. More precisely, not the pillars themselves, but flying islands similar to them. Probably, many have already guessed that they became the prototype for the flying islands from the well-known film “Avatar”.

Currently, the glass trail on Tianmen Mountain is considered the scariest attraction in the world. At least, this is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted among extreme tourists. Switzerland tried to compete with the Chinese bridge by building the Titlis Cliff Walk. It is a “regular” suspension bridge in the Alps at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. True, so far it is not as popular as the glass path to Tianmen. Firstly, the glass floor, as mentioned above, evokes an indescribable feeling of fear, and secondly, every traveler at some point thinks: is the next miracle about to happen on the mystical mountain, and suddenly at this very moment from its a powerful waterfall will flow from the top...

What else to see in Zhangjiajie National Park?

Certainly, national park Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is famous not only for its glass bridge. This is one of the most beautiful parks in China, which has been under the protection of UNESCO since the late 90s. The local nature not only captivated thousands of tourists from all over the world, but also became a source of inspiration for the award-winning director James Cameron. He specially came here to admire the stone pillars, which eventually became the prototype of the floating mountains in the acclaimed film “Avatar”.

Besides stone pillars and glass trail, Zhangjiajie Park has many attractions that deserve attention:

Mountains. They are especially beautiful in the morning when they are covered with a thick layer of fog.
The staircase to Huanshi Mountain is 3800 steps high, leading to the aerial path.
Elevator "Hundred Dragons". The highest altitude lift in the world, lifting tourists 330 meters above the ground. Its transparent walls and ceiling provide views of all local attractions.
The cable car to Mount Tianji, stretching 7445 m, is the highest and longest in the whole world.
"Heavenly Highway" 11 km of dangerous mountain serpentine with more than 100 sharp turns.
A network of caves, including the four-level Yellow Lion Cave at an altitude of over 1000 m.

Opening hours and prices

You can walk along the glass bridge on Tianmen Mountain every day from 7:00 to 18:00 - at this time the last cable car leaves for the bridge. But you can enter Zhangjiajie Park itself later; if you wish, you can even stay in the national park for the night, checking into one of the hotels located there.

Price entrance ticket to the park depends on the age and social status of the visitor:

An adult 3-day pass costs 248 yuan, including insurance - 3 yuan.
For students under 24 years old and children under 1.2 m tall, a three-day pass will cost 163 yuan. Young people must show a student ID to receive a discount. If it does not indicate the date of birth, you must additionally present your passport.
Special benefits are provided to disabled people of groups I and II, war veterans and military personnel, as well as pensioners over 70 years of age. The cost of a three-day pass for these categories of visitors is 68 yuan.

The ticket price includes: entrance to the park and travel around the territory on regular buses. Elevators, funiculars, trams, cave tours are paid separately.

Attention! The 300-meter bridge over the Pingyang Valley is not located in the park, it is separate standing mountain Tianji and this mountain ticket must be purchased separately and costs another 270 yuan.

How to get there?

By plane

Near Zhangjiajie Nature Park there are two small towns - Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan. You can get to them by plane from any large city: Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, but it is cheaper and faster to fly from Shanghai.

By train

From any smaller city in central China it is cheaper to travel by train. True, you will have to go through several connections.

Public transport

In addition, Zhangjiajie town can be reached by bus from Changshi and Fng Huang, which are located relatively nearby. Once you reach Zhangjiajie or Wulingyuan, you should take a bus to the park. It departs from the bus station and takes about 1 hour. Ticket price is about 12 yuan. The bus will arrive at the bus station, from which you will need to walk a few minutes to the entrance to the national park.

Taxi

A more comfortable and faster way is a taxi, which will cost 100-200 yuan, but will deliver you exactly to your destination. The only negative is that Chinese taxi drivers do not speak English, which can create difficulties when explaining where to go. It is better to have a booklet with you with the name of the park or show it on the screen of your smartphone to avoid misunderstandings with the driver. Also, be sure to make sure that the taxi driver turns on the meter, otherwise a dishonest driver will try to deceive you.

Reviews from tourists

We went up on the cable car, the views were beautiful. Then we walked to the right along the glass path. We were very lucky with the weather, but we had little time. We went down the escalators to the Heavenly Gate, everything was perfectly organized. Then we went down a steep descent with 999 steps, impressive. From the lower platform we rode down the serpentine road by bus. We wanted to get off at the cable car intermediate station, but the bus didn’t stop there, it just drove past. Probably because it was already evening, although the cable car cabins still continued to rise.

Tianmen Mountain is famous for its glass trail at an altitude of 1430 meters. When purchasing tickets at the box office, you need to decide on the route: a) ascent by cable car, descent by bus b) ascent by bus, descent by cable car. We chose the first option. From the beginning we climbed to the top using the longest cable car in the world. On the mountain we went around it on the right side. Here is the glass path. To walk through it you need to pay 5 yuan for fabric shoe covers. On the other side of the mountain there is also a passage along a section of the glass trail, and the fee for shoe covers is also 5 yuan. Then we went down the escalators (for free) to the Heavenly Gate and a descent down the steep 999 steps opened before us. You don't have to go down the steps, but take the escalator inside the mountain for an additional fee of 35 yuan. Then we took buses along the serpentine road to the beginning of our cable car ascent.

On the day we planned to climb the mountain it was foggy and raining. We thought that the rain would stop after all, we went to the cable car and climbed the mountain. While we were climbing (which took about 40 minutes), something was still visible, but at the top they were already wandering like hedgehogs in the fog, visibility was about 3. We walked around the mountain, along the glass path too. But there were no people on it at all! That's a plus. But there are no views, this is a minus. The rain kept getting stronger and turned into downpour, so we began to hastily descend, we didn’t get to the mountain with the hole, we don’t even know if we were allowed there or not. We didn’t dare take the bus along the road 99 turns and went to the cable car. When we were already descending into the cabin, cabins filled with people were rising towards us. Below there was also a huge queue to go up, the weather does not stop the Chinese. And in the evening there was a flood in the city, our train got stuck in a tunnel under a landslide. But that is another story. If I'm in those parts, I'll probably repeat the climb.

belaya_e

The wait in line for the funicular to go up the mountain was a little saddening. We arrived at 9 o’clock, and there were already a million Chinese. Stood a whole hour in line, fortunately it was September and not particularly hot. But as soon as we sat down in the cable car, the negativity disappeared) For almost 40 minutes you soar in the air and enjoy the views! It takes about 2 hours to climb the mountain. There are 2 paths to choose from - eastern and western. There is no difference which path to choose, because... the route closes into a ring. Both the eastern and western routes have glass roads, which require an additional fee to access. Also for extra. You could pay for the open funicular to go up to the temple. Because It was very cloudy, we didn’t go any higher.

Galina P

I was lucky with the weather, and there weren’t even any queues, although I was there right after the holidays. The impressions were amazing, I walked two glass paths, it turned out that it was not scary at all, this route is a must-see.

Tianmen Mountain - legends, myths and stubborn facts
Why is Tianmen Mountain famous throughout the world? . The thing is that it is on Mount Tianmen that there is an amazingly beautiful cave, which is currently recognized as the highest in the world. We are not even talking about its size, but about the height above sea level at which it was formed as a result of erosion. The climate in the National Park, in which Tianmen Mountain actually rises, contributes to the constant formation of clouds, so it is constantly shrouded in clouds. Even the most inveterate skeptic who ascends to this mysterious and mystical place gets the impression that he is about to go to... heaven. It is for this reason that the cave on Mount Tianmen got its name “Heavenly Gate”.
According to legend, the mountain is truly connected with the sky and has enormous power. She is able not only to influence the destinies of people, but also to predict significant events in the country and show real miracles to everyone.
Already in the 20th century, four inexplicable miracles occurred on Mount Tianmen at once, which plunged the specialists observing them into a state of stupor. In 1949, when the People's Republic of China appeared on the world map, a powerful waterfall gushed from the top of the mountain, which lasted only 15 minutes. “This is probably some kind of coincidence,” a person who does not believe in the world of the supernatural might think. However, exactly the same miracles occurred just before the death of Mao Zedong, during the suppression of a student rally in the capital of the Celestial Empire and before the devastating flood of 1998. By the way, numerous scientists observed the last three events, all of them, without exception, threw up their hands and came to the consensus that it is impossible to explain the phenomenon of Tianmen Mountain from a scientific point of view.

Tianmen is famous not only for the cave called “Gateway to Heaven”, supernatural events and the legend of hidden treasures. There is also a Buddhist temple on the mountain, where pilgrims come to venerate the sacred relics. This temple is called the same as the cave: “Heavenly Gates”. The area on which the amazingly beautiful temples and service premises are located is neither more nor less - 10,000 (!) square meters. This place has been considered sacred since the Ming Dynasty.
There are three ways to get to the Gate to Heaven cave. The first of them is the least tiring: the tourist is invited to cover the distance to the natural wonder of the world on a cable car. However, it is worth considering that the journey in the cabin will take quite a long time: the Tianmen cable car is considered the longest in the world and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Its length is almost 7.5 kilometers. It is also worth considering that most of the path will lie over the abyss. Scary? Scary only for those who have not climbed to the top of the mountain along a hiking trail and a motorway!
The road has its own name: “the road of 99 turns.” By the way, you can also walk along it. It is 11 kilometers long and actually has 99 turns. This road will take almost all the strength of even a physically resilient traveler. Those tourists who climbed to the top of the mountain without a car face another test: to approach the “Gateway to Heaven” cave they will have to overcome another 999 steps. It is worth noting that the number 9 constantly appears on Tianmen Mountain. By the way, “nine” is sacred to every Chinese.

Glass “Trail of Fear” or the so-called " air path» built on Mount TianMeng b in China. Alas, this attraction is not intended for the faint of heart, because the path is located at an altitude of almost 1450 meters above sea level.

On one side of you there is a rocky abyss, and on the other there is a smooth rocky wall. A small glass bridge, only 6 centimeters thick and no more than a meter wide, protects you from falling. I am sure that once you step on it, it will instantly take your breath away. After all, a perfectly transparent glass bridge clearly shows where you can go if you take the wrong step.

The length of the bridge is about 70 meters and it is attached to the western cliff of the mountain, thereby connecting Zhangjiajie Mountains and Tianmen. This path terrifies not only tourists, but also staff. Therefore, to maintain cleanliness, visitors are asked to wear shoe covers. This excursion is designed for fearless tourists, because not everyone dares to cross the glass bridge. But even they are strongly discouraged from looking down.

The Path of Fear was constructed just a couple of years ago, as a reflection glass bridge over the Grand Canyon, in USA. This bridge is a little more modest, its length is only 22 meters, and its height is 1300 meters. In addition to the unusual path, on the mountain you can visit the highest cave in the world, formed due to erosion processes. Also, Tianmen Mountain, reaching a height of 1500 meters, is home to many rare species plants. And the functioning funicular, more than 7 km long, is recognized as the longest in the world.

Although the glass trail looks terrifying, it is just an improvement on another trail located in the same province. 130 km from this place, there is a wooden trail also at an altitude of 1400 m. When it is completely completed, its length will reach 2 km, making it the largest observation deck in China.

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