Pictured: The giant escalators that China installed to save tourists the effort of hiking up mountains

The rise and rise of mountainside escalators continues in China.

We previously reported on a 688-metre-long (2,260ft) escalator being installed at scenic Enshi Canyon, Hubei province.

Now China has built a 1,100ft (350-metre) escalator costing $2.2 million/£1.6million that takes visitors up Tianyu Mountain in Zhejiang Province – and it even sprays mist on them to keep them cool.

Tourists disembark the escalator a short distance from the top of the 300-metre- [980ft] high peak. From there, it’s a short walk to the summit.

There is a three-kilometre- (1.8-mile) long winding road to the top of the mountain that takes around 50 minutes to walk up. The escalator ride is around 10 minutes and costs 30 Chinese yuen (£3.30/$4.32). And it’s proving incredibly popular, with videos and images showing the escalator packed to capacity.

China has built a 1,100ft (350-metre) escalator costing $2.2 million/£1.6million that takes visitors up Tianyu Mountain in Zhejiang Province – and it even sprays mist on them to keep them cool 

There is a winding road to the top of the mountain that takes around 50 minutes to walk. The escalator ride is around 10 minutes and costs 30 Chinese yuen (£3.30/$4.32) 

A worker for the city tourism development company in Chun’an told China Daily: ‘In the beginning, we considered building a cableway.

‘However, given the cableway’s limited transportation capability and high-security risk, the escalator is relatively safer and has a high transportation capability.’

While many lauded the staircase from an accessibility standpoint, others dubbed the structure a blight on the landscape.

One user, ‘Jorge Fernandez’, commented: ‘This is a great idea for those of us who cannot climb to the top due to physical limitations.’

‘M.ch4rmaland3r10’ agreed: ‘As much as I appreciated climbing the mountain, I think this is an inclusive way for older or people with disability to enjoy the journey up.’

But ‘Magellan-s2p’ said ‘it takes away some of its charm’ and ‘Youxkio’ claimed: ‘This is just the beginning. Soon even Everest will have its own escalators.’

Tourists are dropped off at the Tianyushan scenic spot, just a short distance from the mountaintop and can easily reach the peak on foot 

The Enshi Canyon escalator cost some £4.3 million/$5.6million and takes 18 minutes to ride from start to finish.

Around 7,300 people can be transported every hour from the top of the site right down to the canyon.

A spokesman at Enshi Grand Canyon Scenic Spot told MailOnline: ‘Tourists can take the escalator to go down the mountain all the way. It improves the degree of comfort during their journey.’

The Enshi Canyon escalator (above) cost some £4.3 million/$5.6million and takes 18 minutes to ride from start to finish

At Enshi Canyon (above), around 7,300 people can be transported every hour from the top of the site right down to the canyon