The Shennv Grand Escalator is 905 metres long and 240 metres tall, and has an end-to-end journey time of around 20 minutes.

That’s a vast improvement on the hour it previously took to travel between the upper and lower sections of Shennv Avenue in Chongqing.

A YouTube video from China News Service (CNS) showcases the project, which began construction in June 2024 and recently began trial operations.

The grand escalator – in practice a series of escalators and elevators – connects government offices, hospitals, schools, docks, commercial districts, and residential communities, forming what local officials describe as an “urban living belt”.