Huangguan Escalator

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The Huangguan Escalator, also known as the Lianglukou Escalator (皇冠大扶梯), is a long escalator in Chongqing, China. Built between 1993 and 1996, it was the highest single-floor escalator in China and Asia when it opened, replacing an older funicular railway. Imported materials fueled its construction, and a local engineer who also directed Chongqing Amusement Park led the project. Today it ranks as the third-highest escalator in Asia, shorter than the Rustaveli station escalator in Tbilisi (60 m) and the Pyongyang Metro escalator (64 m). The escalator is 112 m long, 1.3 m wide, and rises about 53 m. It connects Chongqing railway station at Caiyuanba (bottom) to Lianglukou Metro Station (top). Because the terrain is hilly, Lianglukou sits at the top and the railway station at the bottom. Riders pay a small fee, and a supervisor watches at each end. A one-way trip lasts about 2.5 minutes. The escalator plays a key role in Chongqing’s transportation.