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:

Sep 10, 2021Celebrating all things Austen
Jun 16, 2020In the footsteps of Leopold Bloom
Aug 17, 2022Freshwater plants in Aquário Natural, Brazil
Aug 22, 2019Dancing waters of Dubai
Aug 16, 2020Here s looking at you
Oct 13, 2019Acadia transformed
Aug 4, 2020Into the woods
Apr 6, 2023Aprils full moon
Jun 15, 2018Ready for takeoff
Nov 24, 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh, India
Apr 8, 2018It’s Draw a Bird Day
Jul 25, 2020Going with the floe
Jun 8, 2021A day for our oceans
Mar 6, 2024Wahclella Falls, Oregon
Nov 6, 2020Life in the slow lane
Dec 11, 2025International Mountain Day
Mar 9, 2022Flower of Life symbol drawn in snow
Apr 11, 2023Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
Feb 4, 2018Male kori bustard, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Sep 28, 2024National Public Lands Day
Mar 17, 2024St. Patricks Day
Oct 29, 2020Let s get lost
Jul 18, 2024Coral Reef Awareness Week
Oct 23, 2024Madame Sherri Forest, New Hampshire
Jul 21, 2019A peek behind the royal curtain
Dec 24, 2018The birthplace of a classic Christmas carol
Sep 11, 2018Inside the Oculus
Mar 22, 2026World Water Day
Feb 25, 2024Black History Month
Apr 5, 2021Once upon a time there was a bridge…