# Lingshan Lift (DD-707) > The Reel mixes up two different Lingshans. The footage shows the new cliffside escalator at Lingshan Scenic Area in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, a national 4A scenic area of granite peaks whose highest point, Tianti Peak, reaches 1,496 m. According to the scenic area as reported by Chinese media, the escalator line is 1,236 m long with a vertical rise of about 256 m, built as 10 sections in 5 groups. It can carry about 3,600 people per hour each way, turning a climb of 3-4 hours on foot into about 30 minutes. It went into trial operation in August 2025, and international outlets reported it open in October 2025. The 'Grand Buddha at Lingshan' and Taihu Lake belong to a different place: the Lingshan Scenic Area in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, where an 88 m bronze Buddha completed in the 1990s stands on the north shore of Lake Tai. The escalator in the footage doesn't serve that Buddha or overlook Taihu Lake. - Department: Locations (also Tech) - First published: 2026-03-24 - Last updated: 2026-03-24 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/lingshan-lift/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## On the timeline - **August 2025**: Shangrao Lingshan's cliffside escalator begins trial operation - **October 2025**: Reports say the escalator has opened to visitors Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=lingshan-lift ## Quick facts - **DD-707-F01**: Shangrao Lingshan's escalator line is reported at 1,236 m long. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (The numbers))_ - **DD-707-F02**: The Grand Buddha at Lingshan is in Wuxi, Jiangsu, not Shangrao. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (The other Lingshan))_ ## Write-up 1,236 m of escalator. A cliffside 'sky ladder' up Jiangxi's Lingshan. 1. **Which Lingshan**: The escalator is at Lingshan in Shangrao, Jiangxi, a national 4A scenic area of granite peaks with a highest peak of 1,496 m. 2. **The numbers**: As reported in Chinese media, the line is 1,236 m long with about 256 m of vertical rise, built as 10 escalator sections in 5 groups. 3. **Capacity**: It's reported to carry about 3,600 people per hour each way and to cut a 3-4 hour climb to about 30 minutes. 4. **Timeline**: The escalator entered trial operation in August 2025, with the scenic area still deciding how to charge for it. 5. **The other Lingshan**: The Grand Buddha at Lingshan, an 88 m bronze statue on Lake Tai, is in Wuxi, Jiangsu, a separate scenic area that the Reel's caption mixes in. ## Related case files - [One Incense Pillar (DD-682)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/one-incense-pillar/): Another dramatic Chinese scenic landscape - [Counter Crane (DD-687)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/counter-crane/): Another machine built to lift - [Lux or Luxor (DD-686)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/lux-or-luxor/): Another case about moving people by machine ## Reel vs. record - **Wrong place**: the Grand Buddha at Lingshan and Taihu Lake are in Wuxi, Jiangsu. The escalator in the footage is at Lingshan in Shangrao, Jiangxi, a different scenic area. - **Wrong reason**: the escalator wasn't built for Grand Buddha visitors. It replaces a 3-4 hour climb up Shangrao Lingshan's granite peaks. - **Missing scale**: the line is reported at 1,236 m long with about 256 m of vertical rise, built as 10 sections in 5 groups. - **Unclear**: 'landscaped gardens and temple structures' doesn't match the footage, which shows escalators on bare granite cliffs. Shangrao Lingshan does have Taoist and Buddhist sites. - **Missing timing**: trial operation began in August 2025. Opening reports followed in October 2025, and 'Asia's longest' is a promotional claim. ## Video: Lingshan Lift: 1,236 m of Escalator - Duration: 23.4 s · Published: 2026-03-24 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DWR2A7aETt_.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? The outdoor escalator at Lingshan Scenic Area is a long series of open-air escalators built into the hillside to help visitors reach the upper terraces of the mountain complex without a steep climb. Installed to accommodate the large number of tourists visiting the famous Grand Buddha at Lingshan, the escalators carry passengers upward through landscaped gardens and temple structures while offering views over the Taihu Lake and the surrounding hills. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: In which province is the escalator in the footage?** A: Shangrao, Jiangxi. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Which Lingshan) · Shangrao Lingshan Scenic Area Administrative Committee (official site, Chinese); Xinhua (Aug 5, 2025): Cliffside escalator to open to public in China's Shangrao)_ **Q: How long is the escalator line reported to be?** A: 1,236 m. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The numbers) · Sina / Kuai Keji (Aug 9, 2025): Asia's longest escalator begins trial operation at Shangrao Lingshan (Chinese); Xinhua (Aug 5, 2025): Cliffside escalator to open to public in China's Shangrao)_ **Q: About how many people per hour can it carry each way?** A: About 3,600. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Capacity) · Sina / Kuai Keji (Aug 9, 2025): Asia's longest escalator begins trial operation at Shangrao Lingshan (Chinese))_ **Q: When did the escalator begin trial operation?** A: August 2025. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Timeline) · Sina / Kuai Keji (Aug 9, 2025): Asia's longest escalator begins trial operation at Shangrao Lingshan (Chinese); Xinhua (Aug 5, 2025): Cliffside escalator to open to public in China's Shangrao)_ **Q: Where is the Grand Buddha at Lingshan?** A: Wuxi, on Lake Tai. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (The other Lingshan) · Wikipedia: Grand Buddha at Ling Shan (Wuxi); Wuxi municipal government: Lingshan Mountain Scenic Area)_ ## Sources - [Xinhua (Aug 5, 2025): Cliffside escalator to open to public in China's Shangrao](https://english.news.cn/20250805/5b1c6d4889d248259ee50f292a9a421b/c.html) - [Sina / Kuai Keji (Aug 9, 2025): Asia's longest escalator begins trial operation at Shangrao Lingshan (Chinese)](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/discovery/2025-08-09/doc-infkkeax8150111.shtml) - [Shangrao Lingshan Scenic Area Administrative Committee (official site, Chinese)](https://jxsrlingshan.com/) - [Wikipedia: Grand Buddha at Ling Shan (Wuxi)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Buddha_at_Ling_Shan) - [Wuxi municipal government: Lingshan Mountain Scenic Area](https://en.wuxi.gov.cn/2025-10/14/c_1131671.htm) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "Lingshan Lift." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-707, last updated Mar 24, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/lingshan-lift/