Wushan Goddess Escalator – Reaching for the sky Wushan, China
The hilltop views of Wushan and the Yangzi River winding through steep limestone cliffs are spectacular – but until recently, reaching them meant a strenuous climb in subtropical heat. That changed when our team partnered with the local government to build the Wushan Goddess Escalator – the longest outdoor escalator system in the world, connecting the city vertically, and helping to turn it into a premier tourist destination.
Key facts
Project stakeholders
- Developer: Chongqing Wushan Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.
- Main contractor: Chongqing Beixin Rongjian Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.
- Design Institute: China Railway Second Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd.
Challenges and client brief
- To enhance the quality of life for residents and tourists by providing effortless vertical mobility
- To install units in a densely populated site, while minimizing disruption to local residents
- To maintain an efficient working system once open to the public
Schindler solutions
- We designed and installed a system of 33 escalators, elevators, and moving walks to enhance mobility across the city
- Our team worked within a strict construction schedule to keep disruptions to a minimum
- All units are connected to our Technical Operations Center (TOC), allowing remote monitoring 24/7
Project highlights
The view of Wushan and the Yangzi River winding through steep limestone cliffs is spectacular – and now much easier to get to.
Wushan's hot and humid climate, where summer temperatures average above 30ºC, can be intense. Until recently, walking up uphill felt more like a steep urban climb in uncomfortable heat – an ordeal most people would rather skip.
That changed when our team worked with the local government to design and build the Wushan Goddess Escalator – the longest outdoor escalator system in the world. Made up of 21 escalators, eight elevators, and four moving walks, it stretches an incredible 905 meters in length. From the banks of the Yangzi up to the hilltop behind the city, it climbs 240 meters – the equivalent of an 80-floor building. Since opening, it’s reduced the travel time from over an hour to less than 20 minutes.
“The escalator system provides convenient access for residents and tourists alike,” says Du Ying, Vice-President of Existing Installation at Schindler China. The escalator system also links government offices, schools, hospitals, and the river dock. “It’s quickly become a new artery for pedestrian traffic and has really enhanced the experience of living in and visiting the city.”
The escalator system provides convenient access for residents and tourists alike,” says Du Ying, Vice-President of Existing Installation at Schindler China.
Prefabricated perfection
However, construction of this new escalator system presented serious challenges. The proposed site was a narrow strip of land in the center of town. Footbridges and platforms had to be constructed, and underground pipelines had to be avoided.
“It’s a steep site that passes through residential areas, so we couldn’t get large machinery into the area,” explains Xiaohui Tan, our Project Manager. The installation was split into sections. The required units for each section were prefabricated in modules, making them easier to transported and assembled in situ.
All units were manufactured and tested at our Jiading Campus in Shanghai, our company’s largest global manufacturing hub, before being shipped across the country.
Innovation required
Chongqing municipality in the southwest of China is famous for its dramatic, vertical terrain that provides the perfect platform for innovative infrastructure projects. Wushan sits among the stunning natural scenery within the Yangtze Three Gorges, surrounded by 12 prominent mountains.
The most famous of these is the Goddess Peak, which is topped with a large rock that looks like a lady sitting down overlooking the river below.
“Two of the escalators are over 70 meters long, so our modular approach allowed the use smaller machinery while installing them,” says Xiaohui. This minimized the need for extensive hillside excavation and so reduced the risk of slope instability.
“The Wushan Goddess Escalator is the perfect mix of engineering and art. It’s a great example of how we contribute to urban mobility,” say Hai Qiu, President of Schindler Escalator Division.
Experience in the mountains
Around the world, our teams are no strangers to a bit of elevation. We’ve delivered vertical mobility systems in mountainous environments across the globe.
In China, the Longtoushan Mountain Sky Escalator passes through the snow fields at 2,336 meters above sea level, in Shaanxi.
We’ve also worked on high altitude projects at iconic tourist destinations in Europe. Our team installed escalators at 3,500 meters above sea level at the summit station on Testa Grigia, near the Matterhorn, in Switzerland. And we've delivered the highest duplex elevators on the continent, which take thousands of tourists daily to the 3,842-meter-high viewing platform 'Pas de Vide' at Aiguille du Midi, near Mont Blanc, in France.
Smooth rides even in the rain
In the mountainous area that surrounds Wushan, the weather is notoriously wet. Rain, fog, and clouds are common place. High humidity poses a significant risk of corrosion to exposed equipment. To combat this, every piece of machinery was treated to anti-corrosion coating, helping to increase the waterproof rating of the entire machine. A hot-dip galvanized truss – this is where the steel framework is coated in molten zinc – was also used to prevent corrosion.
“We wanted to provide a ‘raincoat’ for the equipment to ensure stability even in the harshest weather,” explains Xiaohui.
Once the units were fully protected from the elements, our team set about making sure they were equipped to always provide a smooth and efficient ride.
“Using cluster control technology, our team can effectively operate all of the units as one coordinated system,” explains Xiaohui. This synchronizes start and stop functions, operating modes, and reduces unnecessary running during low demand, all of which helps to ensure stable and reliable operation along the entire route – and save energy.
To further increase the efficiency of the system, regenerative braking technology was also used. This is where kinetic energy is generated from passengers moving downhill and converted into electricity that can be used to help power the system.
“Using cluster control technology, our team can effectively operate all of the units as one coordinated system,” explains Xiaohui Tan, our Project Manager.
First-class service
To ensure long-term reliability, our team will deliver ongoing monitoring and maintenance. All units that make up the Wushan Goddess Escalator are connected to our Technical Operations Center (TOC) in Shanghai. Behind the scenes, our TOCs monitor connected units in real time, 24/7. Predictive maintenance highlights potential issues before they become a problem and allows our teams to respond early and maintain reliable operation.
Auspiciously, the Wushan Goddess Escalator officially opened on the first day of Chinese New Year the busiest time of the year for travel in the country. It’s estimated that over the two-week festive period, a staggering 450,000 people used the escalator system.
The increased accessibility and convenience have transformed Wushan into a premier destination, with people traveling across the country to visit – and with around 10,000 people using the escalators every day.
“It’s made visiting Wushan a real experience,” says Ying. “People used to get to the top of the hill hot and tired, now they arrive and they’re relaxed and ready to enjoy the view.”