The sightseeing escalator at Enshi Grand Canyon in Enshi city, Central China's Hubei province. [Photo from Weibo account of Hubei Daily]

A 688-meter-long sightseeing escalator made its debut during the past week-long National Day holiday, contributing to tourists' visits at Enshi Grand Canyon in Enshi city, Central China's Hubei province.

"The escalator is the world's longest sightseeing one, costing each visitor 20 yuan ($2.98)", said an insider, who went on saying that visitors can enjoy the beautiful sights by taking less time and effort thanks to the escalator.

Using a steel concrete structure and a wooden structure, the escalator was built along the mountain in a "∑" shape at Qixingzhai scenic spot, a must-see at Enshi Grand Canyon.

"The whole engineering plan focused on ecological protection, which can be seen from the wooden structure and grey tile at the top of the escalator", said Xiong Yan, who is in charge of the project and works at Central-South Architectural Design Institute.

Xiong said that many vine plants were planted along the escalator to integrate with the surrounding landscape.

It's reported that the escalator can carry 7,300 visitors per hour in theory and is estimated to carry 600,000 visitors altogether in one year.