Tianmen Mountain (Heaven’s Gate Mountain) is the second-largest national park within the boundaries of Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China.
Tianmen Mountain is likened to a paradise, a beautiful garden in the sky and an emblem of Zhangjiajie. It takes visitors half a day to a full day to explore its unique terrain and natural landscapes, offering a variety of rich activities.
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About Tianmen Mountain
A notable feature of Tianmen Mountain is the “Heaven’s Gate” or “Tianmen Cave”—a natural stone arch that is about 131.5 meters high, considered one of the iconic landmarks of the region. Visitors can reach the Heaven’s Gate through a long road with 99 sharp turns known as the “99 Bends Road.”
With an average elevation of approximately 1,400 meters, Tianmen Mountain’s highest peak reaches around 1,520 meters. The mountain is famous for its limestone terrain covered with lush green forests and steep cliffs, creating a breathtaking vista.
When to Visit Tianmen Mountain?
The mountain offers different scenic views depending on the season.
- Spring: Flowers bloom profusely, and the weather is still chilly. The frequent mist adds a mysterious touch to Tianmen Mountain.
- Summer: The mountain is refreshingly cool and provides an ideal escape from the heat.
- Fall: The scenery becomes exceptionally beautiful with shades of gold and red from the changing leaves.
- Winter: The area becomes cold and sometimes experiences snowfall. Due to safety reasons, the cable car and shuttle bus services may be frequently suspended during this time.
Therefore, the best time to visit Tianmen Mountain is from April to October each year.
Tickets to visit Tianmen Mountain
The Tianmen Mountain Cable Car Station is located about 8 km south of Zhangjiajie City. From the city center, you can easily reach the station by taxi or rental car.
The entrance ticket to Tianmen Mountain costs 258 CNY ~ ~ 36.12 USD for the peak season from March to November. During the off-season, the entrance fee is 225 CNY ~ ~ 31.50 USD . The ticket includes entrance fees, internal shuttle bus fees, and cable car fees. Visitors usually choose to ascend via shuttle bus along the 99 Bends Road and then return via cable car, or vice versa.
What can visitors experience at Tianmen Mountain?
Tianmen Mountain is an exceptional tourist destination in China, offering a variety of unique experiences. Here are some of the things you can experience at Tianmen Mountain:
The Avenue of Heaven or the Legendary 99 Bends Road
This is one of the most notable experiences at Tianmen Mountain. To ascend the mountain by road, visitors can purchase tickets and take small sky-blue buses that can carry around 20 passengers each trip. The road is 10.77 km long and features 99 hairpin bends, making it one of the most dangerous roads in the world. The journey takes around 25 minutes, taking visitors from an elevation of 200 m to 1,300 m above sea level.
Majestic natural landscapes
During the journey, visitors can admire stunning scenery, such as massive limestone formations, lush green tree canopies covering the mountain peaks, and clouds and mist lingering on the road, creating a mystical atmosphere.
Thrilling sensations
The journey along the Avenue of Heaven provides thrilling and exciting sensations as the bus continuously takes sharp turns along the bends, and oncoming vehicles swiftly pass each other on the narrow mountain road. The skilled and experienced drivers ensure a safe and memorable trip.
Panoramic views from above
From high up, visitors can observe the winding road cutting through dense forests and vast expanses of land.
This journey is not recommended for those prone to motion sickness, but it is an unforgettable experience when visiting Tianmen Mountain.
999 Steps to Heaven
After finishing the thrilling ride along the Avenue of Heaven, I arrived at Tianmen Square, where I first caught sight of the Tianmen Cave. From this square, a sea of clouds obscured the bustling world below.
To reach the Tianmen Cave, visitors must climb all 999 steps. The stairway stretches 218 meters and ascends from an elevation of 1,050 meters to 1,170 meters. For many, conquering these 999 steps is not just about admiring the scenery; it also holds significant spiritual meaning.
Along the stairway, there are resting spots and prayer sites known by names representing wealth, happiness, longevity, power, and luck—five blessings in traditional Chinese culture.
The 999 steps are divided into nine slopes, reminding people that to reach the “gate of heaven,” they must navigate life’s ups and downs.
I couldn’t climb all 999 steps, so I took a shortcut to Heaven’s Gate: an escalator through the tunnel for 32 CNY ~ 5 USD.
This escalator consists of two main sections: the first section runs parallel to the 999 steps and takes you from the square below to Tianmen Cave; the second section goes from Tianmen Cave to the summit of the mountain. The total length of the escalator is 897 meters, with a capacity to transport 3,600 people per hour in one direction.
The escalator tunnel to Heaven’s Gate is a convenient alternative for visitors who do not wish to climb all 999 steps. It provides a quick and efficient way to reach the summit.
The tunnel consists of an escalator with two main sections. The first section runs parallel to the 999 steps and takes you from Tianmen Square at the base up to Tianmen Cave. The second section goes from Tianmen Cave to the summit of the mountain.
Seeing the World from Tianmen Cave and the Summit of Tianmen Mountain
Tianmen Cave (Heaven’s Gate) is the world’s highest natural limestone cave formed by water erosion. The cave juts out of the ground, towering skyward with a height of 131.5 meters, a width of 57 meters, and a depth of 60 meters. Many professional pilots have flown aircraft through Tianmen Cave.
If the shape of Tianmen Cave looks peculiar when viewed from below, the scenery around the cave is astonishing once you step inside.
In front of the cave is a sea of white clouds partially obscuring the winding 99 Bends Road. Behind the cave is a hilly expanse completely covered in greenery. I also got a firsthand look at the massive limestone walls of Tianmen Cave.
The second part of the escalator journey took me from Tianmen Cave to a higher point. From there, I could observe the summit of Tianmen Mountain, look back down at Tianmen Cave below, and even see the city of Zhangjiajie in the distance.
Skywalk and Glass Skywalk
After admiring Tianmen Cave and the summit of Tianmen Mountain, I ventured into a corridor along the cliff of Dragon Cliff, known as the Skywalk. This pathway is constructed hanging on the cliff, offering visitors a stunning view of the lush landscape below.
The midday sun was very bright, and there were sections without trees for shade, but the path was crowded, so we had to move slowly. Fortunately, the altitude of 1,400 meters kept the air from being too hot.
Once you complete the pathway along the mountainside, you reach the Glass Skywalk, a 60-meter-long, 1.6-meter-wide glass walkway at an elevation of 1,430 meters. Walking on this glass skywalk may be a bit daunting when there are few people around, but with the crowds passing through, you don’t feel like you’re suspended in the air—just that you need to move quickly. The Glass Skywalk itself is free, but there is a fee of around 5 CNY (~$1) for renting shoe covers.
In reality, there are three glass walkways at Tianmen Mountain: one on the east side, one on the west side, and one that traverses the Dragon Cliff, which I just walked on. Overall, I feel that the glass walkway is not necessary here, as simply walking along the cliffside corridor and taking in the spectacular nature below is more than enough.
Tianmen Mountain Cable Car
After leaving the Glass Skywalk, a short walk brings you to the Tianmen Mountain Cable Car station. Due to time constraints, I took the cable car back to the city of Zhangjiajie. If you have more time, you might want to visit other attractions such as Yunmeng Fairy Summit, Ghost Valley Cliffside Corridor, Tianmen Temple, and Yihong Mountain Pass.
Tianmen Mountain Cable Car is one of the longest passenger cableways in the world, with a total length of 7,455 meters and a height difference of 1,279 meters. The journey takes about 40 minutes. The entire cable car route includes three stations: upper, middle, and lower stations.
As soon as you leave the upper station, the 99 Bends Road appears at a very close distance, offering a different perspective of the entire road. When you reach the middle station and look back up, the limestone peaks of Tianmen Mountain appear hazy in the clouds. The stretch from the middle station to the final station provides a panoramic view of the city of Zhangjiajie.
Although I didn’t explore all of Tianmen Mountain, what I experienced left me with unforgettable memories. Tianmen Mountain is indeed a paradise with majestic mountains, lush greenery, and many unique sights. If you ever visit Zhangjiajie, don’t miss the chance to explore Tianmen Mountain!
