Chongqing— Rising along the steep hillsides of Wushan County, the Wushan Goddess Escalator has quickly become one of Chongqing’s most talked-about new infrastructure projects, combining urban transportation, tourism, and mountain-city design.
Officially opened earlier this year, the outdoor vertical transit system stretches approximately 905 meters and climbs more than 240 meters in elevation — roughly the height of an 80-story building. Widely described as the world’s longest outdoor escalator system, it was built to improve mobility in one of Chongqing’s most mountainous areas.
The project includes 21 escalators, eight elevators — including accessible elevators connected to footbridges — four moving walkways, two pedestrian bridges, and two cross-line passages, forming a comprehensive vertical transportation network along Goddess Avenue in Wushan County.
Before the system entered operation, traveling between the upper and lower sections of the area could take residents nearly an hour. The escalator has reduced the journey to about 20 minutes, significantly improving daily mobility for local communities.
Beyond its transportation function, the project has also emerged as a new tourism landmark. Transparent glass panels and multiple viewing platforms offer panoramic views of the Three Gorges and Wu Gorge, while nighttime lighting transforms the mountainside into a glowing urban landscape after dark.
The project has attracted widespread attention online, with many social media users highlighting it as another example of Chongqing’s futuristic mountain infrastructure.
The Wushan Goddess Escalator reflects Chongqing’s efforts to improve urban mobility while adapting infrastructure to the city’s distinctive mountainous geography, demonstrating how engineering solutions can be integrated with tourism and urban development.