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

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 7, 2023Kirkilai lakes, Biržai Regional Park, Lithuania
Feb 4, 2024Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria
Mar 13, 2021All hail the king of shrubs
Jul 6, 2023International Kissing Day
Jul 23, 2023Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Oct 29, 2022Sea Slug Day
May 11, 2020A tree amid the Tetons
Nov 12, 2020Upstate autumn
Mar 13, 2023National Napping Day
Jan 12, 2023Rumelihisarı in Istanbul, Türkiye
Oct 20, 2020Reflecting on fall
Oct 25, 2022 Park of the Monsters, Bomarzo, Italy
Oct 6, 2025Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
Jun 4, 2023Waiānapanapa State Park, Maui, Hawaii
Jan 9, 2022Rice processing in Bangladesh
Sep 29, 2023Mid-Autumn Festival
Aug 8, 2020It s ∞ Day!
Sep 12, 2021A grand event
Jul 8, 2020It s only Wednesday
Nov 25, 2023Toledo, Spain
Jul 23, 2024Methoni Castle, Messenia, Greece
Jan 1, 2022New Year s Day
May 31, 2018Leaves of Grass
Dec 5, 2023Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
Apr 9, 2023Happy Easter!
Nov 10, 2023Badlands National Parks 45th anniversary
Jun 4, 2020A bridge too Fawr
Sep 25, 2024Sequoia National Parks 134th anniversary
Aug 11, 2022It s Mountain Day in Japan
Apr 22, 2025Earth Day