Heavens Gate Cave, Tianmen Mountain National Park, China Jan 26, 2023

Heavens Gate Cave, Tianmen Mountain National Park, China

The rock arch formation you"re looking at today is Heaven"s Gate Cave, a popular landmark in Hunan province, China. This busy tourist destination is located on Tianmen (Heaven"s Gate) Mountain in Tianmen Mountain National Park. To reach the arch, you must either ride a cable car or take a bus up a twisty, winding road with 99 turns. (The number 9 represents eternity in Chinese numerology.) Once off the bus, you"ll need to walk 999 steps up a 45-degree incline—a stairway to the heavens. It"s no easy feat, but this is no ordinary cave. At an elevation of 4,100 feet, the arch is 440 feet high and 180 feet wide.

© Shane P. White/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Jan 26, 2018Eastern grey kangaroos in Australia’s Kosciuszko National Park
Jan 26, 2019Visiting a Maratha fortress
Jan 26, 2020It s Republic Day in India
Jan 26, 2021It s Australia Day
Jan 26, 2022India Republic Day
Jan 26, 2024Northern hawk-owl
Jan 26, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
Jan 26, 2026Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 30, 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Aug 21, 2019Look before you leap
Jan 9, 2025Remembering Jimmy Carter
Aug 22, 2019Dancing waters of Dubai
Sep 1, 2024Totally Thames Festival, London
Apr 23, 2021A house of grand scale(s)
Aug 1, 2022Hawai i Volcanoes National Park at 106
Feb 25, 2024Black History Month
Jun 22, 2022World Rainforest Day
Feb 26, 2018A leafy seadragon in the waters off Wool Bay, Australia
Dec 15, 2022Borovets ski resort in Bulgaria
Sep 25, 2020One for the books
Dec 29, 2020Where the glow of the holidays lingers
Jul 1, 2021Celebrating migrations
Dec 25, 2021Merry Christmas
Oct 2, 2022Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Aug 23, 2019Harvest time in the Palouse
Aug 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy
Jun 4, 2019Breaking the fast for Eid
Feb 26, 2022Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Apr 1, 2019Unbearable cuteness
Oct 4, 2020Infrared Jupiter, erupting Io
Nov 8, 2022Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dec 20, 2020Dressed for winter fun
Sep 21, 2021An old celebration for a new season
May 29, 2023Memorial Day
Sep 24, 2022National Public Lands Day
Nov 23, 2023Happy Thanksgiving!
Mar 25, 2022Tolkien Reading Day
Apr 6, 2024Castle Day in Japan