At a mountain resort in eastern China, the phrase “take a hike” now comes with a side of automation. In the Lingshan Scenic Area of Jiangxi Province, officials have spent millions building a sprawling network of outdoor escalators designed to deliver visitors to the summit of a 1,500-meter mountain—no sweat, heavy breathing, sore calves, or hiking boots required.
Photos and videos from NewsFlare show dozens of interlinked escalators zigzagging up the face of the mountain like a high-tech snake. The project, launched in 2022 and scheduled for completion next month, is being pitched as a way to make mountain views more accessible to everyone—including the elderly, people with disabilities, and those who just don’t feel like sweating through two hours of stairs.
Hiking Is Optional Now Thanks to This Giant Mountain Escalator in China
Before the escalator system, the climb to the top took most visitors nearly two hours and involved thousands of steps. Once the new system is operational in May, reaching the summit will take just a few minutes.
The response? Let’s just say the internet has opinions. Some hail the innovation as a much-needed equalizer, giving more people the chance to take in Lingshan’s sweeping vistas and its famed 72 peaks. Others say it completely defeats the purpose of hiking in the first place—calling it lazy, unnatural, and another example of overdevelopment ruining the spirit of adventure.
Lingshan isn’t the first place in China to try escalator-enhanced tourism. Tianyu Mountain in Zhejiang Province went viral in 2023 after installing an escalator to its 350-meter summit. Since then, several other scenic mountain areas have followed suit, turning what used to be grueling uphill climbs into what is now, basically, an elevated sidewalk.
Still, Lingshan’s installation is the most ambitious yet—both in size and elevation. Critics argue that it’s a slippery slope (pun fully intended) toward stripping nature of the very challenges that make it rewarding. But for others, it’s a much-needed workaround to physical limitations or time constraints, offering all the payoff with none of the pain.
Whether it’s an accessibility win or the end of “real” hiking depends on who you ask. But, hopefully, there are still some side trails you can take if you still want the full experience.
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