The world’s ‘most bendy’ road with 99 hairpin curves that never seems to end

The Tianmen Mountain Road, in Zhangjiajie, , is one of the world’s most bendy roads, with drivers having to navigate 99 hairpin turns and tight tunnels.

In a journey that never seems to end, the mountain road passes through a landscape dominated by harsh cliff edges and lush greenery.

Covering a distance of 6.8 miles, it starts at 200 metres above sea level and ascends to an impressive 1,300 metres.

Unsurprisingly, it is known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world.

of the “Avenue toward Heaven,” as it is also called, started in 1998. It took seven years to build and cost more than 100 million Chinese yuan (£11.2 million in today’s money). It was completed and came into use in May 2005.

Located in the northwestern Province, sightseeing buses scale the road, but instead of being specially trained to tackle the terrifying route, the drivers are ordinary people, employed simply thanks to their excellent driving skills.

This road is not open to public traffic except for special events.

If the idea of attempting this perilous road is too much, there is an alternative, via what some claim to be the longest in the world, covering 7,455 metres with a height gap of 1,279 metres.

Constructed by the French company Poma, the cable car starts from the nearby Zhangjiajie railway station and ascends to the top of the mountain. From here, tourists can marvel at the scenery and get an aerial view of the road.

At the top is the Heaven Gate, a natural rock arch with a height of 131.5 metres. Here there are 999 stairs, called the Tianan Stairs or the Stairway to Heaven, leading to the peak.

At this height, the temperature on the mountain is about 10 degrees lower than in Zhangjiajie city, which lies to the north.

Visitors can also walk on miles of paths built onto the cliff face at the top of the mountain, including sections with that were installed in 2016. It overlooks the Tongtian Avenue, called the “Coiling Dragon Cliff”.

A large temple – the Tianmenshan Temple – is also located on the summit. While the original temple was built during the Tang Dynasty, today a more recent construction with Tang Dynasty architecture occupies the site and includes a vegetarian restaurant.