Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 123
October 7, 2021
Cinematic Views From The World’s Tallest Outdoor Elevator
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
At 1,070 feet tall, the Bailong Elevator in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China, is the tallest, fastest, and largest loaded lift on Earth, according to Top China Travel. The elevator is located in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a World Natural Heritage site, and it allows tourists to take in the breathtaking mountain sights.
About half of the glass elevator is located within the mountain, while the top portion gives visitors incredible views of the surrounding area, which includes tall, column-like sandstone formations, according to CNN. The landscape in the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was likely used as inspiration for the floating Hallelujah Mountains in the alien world Pandora featured in James Cameron’s 2010 film Avatar.
Image credit: TAW4 / Shutterstock.com
Before the elevator was completed in 2002, visitors had to endure hours of driving on dangerous roads to reach the scenic views. Since the elevator’s construction, tourists can get to the top of the mountain in under two minutes.
A German company built the lift, also known as the Hundred Dragons Elevator, by digging tunnels and shafts into one of the sandstone pillars. The total cost was 180 million yuan, or $28 million USD. The structure actually consists of three sightseeing elevators that run parallel to one another. Each double-decker elevator holds 46 passengers and has a speed of 5 meters per second, or 11 mph. The elevators can carry 4,000 one-way passengers per hour. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 18,000 tourists traveled on the elevator daily, according to WTVA News.
Editorial credit: Matyas Rehak / Shutterstock.com
There was some controversy over the elevator’s construction because it’s situated in a World Heritage Site, according to Industry Tap. The region attracts five million visitors annually and was already coping with a significant number of tourists prior to its construction. Proponents of the elevator claim its presence eliminated the need for so many hotels, guesthouses, and other types of accommodations.
Since visitors no longer need to stay on the mountain to see its views, fewer overnight stays are required, and environmental impact has been reduced. Also, fewer people are hiking up the mountain because the elevator is available. Clearly, the lift’s effect on the environment is a matter of perspective.
Following the elevator’s opening, it was temporarily closed for safety purposes. However, it is equipped with safety features such as an earthquake detector and a load-weighing control system to protect it from failure. In 2013, French rock climber Jean-Michel Casanova scaled the elevator’s exposed structure without safety equipment in 68 minutes, according to China Daily. That’s a bit extreme to avoid the cost of using it, which is about $10.50 USD each way.
Take Your Own Step Out of the Box!Challenge yourself to get a little weird, try new things, and step out of your comfort zone with inspiration from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Out of the Box, available now on Amazon and at most major retailers.
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com
STEP OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE Experience the stories of adventurers near and far, from a three-year-old mountain climber to hair-hangers and acrobats. Leave inspired by unbelievable talents, breathtaking bucket list-worthy locations, and curious discoveries, all from people just like you as you uncover the pages of Ripley’s newest annual book!Source: Cinematic Views From The World’s Tallest Outdoor Elevator
October 6, 2021
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October 1, 2021
There Are Waterfalls Flowing In The Well of Hell
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Last week, the Omani Caves Exploration Team (OCET) made way to Yemen to discover once and for all what lies beneath a 367-foot-deep sinkhole known as the “Well of Hell.”
Using a pulley system to lower eight of the ten team members down into the abyss, the crew descended into the darkness of the legendary hole, officially known as the Well of Barhout, becoming the first individuals ever to make it to the bottom.
Into the ‘Well of Hell’.
Driven by their passion to explore the unknown, a team of Omani cavers are believed to be the first to reach the bottom of Yemen’s mysterious Well of Barhouthttps://t.co/YfOJAgwypc pic.twitter.com/hLfqEjuW9N
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 23, 2021
Since sinking into the middle of the desert in al-Mahra, close to the Yemen-Oman border, millions of years ago, the well’s eerily symmetrical circular entrance has been the source of much lore.
Sinkhole or Genie-Infested Hellmouth?One of the most prominent tales about what this hole holds is that it’s actually a genie-prison in disguise. After someone dared to get close enough to notice a distinct odor wafting from the great beyond, the legend transformed the hole from sinkhole to gateway to the underworld.
Others believe it is a supervolcano lying dormant but ready to destroy the planet at any given moment — regardless of the total lack of scientific evidence backing the theory.
Either way, locals warn not to get too close, lest it pull you inside forever, or at the very best, curse you with a lifetime of bad luck.
All’s Well that Ends WellAlas, there were neither genies nor netherworlds at the bottom of the hell well, though the OCET team did encounter their fair share of snakes, stalagmites, and dead animals causing the stench. In other words, the Well of Barhout is nothing more than one very deep sinkhole.
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Of course, since nobody had ever been down the devil’s hole before, there were some interesting tidbits to come out of the exploration.
What the sinkhole lacked in wishes and eternal damnation was made up for in rare cave pearls growing between the jagged stalagmites on its floor and waterfalls flowing from holes in its walls.
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Mohammed al Kindi, a member of the OCET team and geology professor at Oman’s German University of Technology, described the expedition as a sort of passion project, saying, “We felt that this is something that will reveal a new wonder and part of Yemeni history.”
By Meghan Yani, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
September 30, 2021
The Disney Roller Coaster That Doubles As Medical Treatment
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
There are many physical sensations people experience when riding a roller coaster: heart flutters, a drop in the stomach, and lightheadedness, to name a few. But did you know that Disney’s iconic Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster has also been known to make your body react in more substantial ways, such as passing a kidney stone? Believe It!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of the OG rides at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. First opening its doors to the public in 1979 at the California park and 1980 in Florida, the mine train roller coaster features sudden drops and hairpin turns along a bumpy track and even whizzes through the ribcage of a dinosaur fossil. And while you’re busy passing through that skeleton, all of that careening can make a kidney stone pass right through you.
Express Monorail via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
According to a 2016 article by Live Science, a study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found that several patients had found relief from their kidney stones after riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster.
Kidney stones are hard, crystalized mineral masses that can form in your kidneys. They range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Kidney stones can cause many painful symptoms, including sharp abdominal pains, nausea, and discomfort while urinating. While most patients don’t need medical treatment for kidney stones, passing them can be extremely painful. The masses must travel from the kidneys, down the ureter, and into the bladder. From there, the stones exit the body via the urethra.
The scientists behind the study were intrigued to hear claims from patients that riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad helped them pass their kidney stones. To effectively test the coaster’s capabilities, the researchers made a 3D model of a kidney and filled it with urine and three real kidney stones in different sizes. Then, they stuck their mock kidney in a backpack (ew!) and boarded Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
CetusCetus via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The scientists rode the roller coaster 20 times. During each round, they tested the positions of the three kidney stones in different areas of the kidney model. For instance, on one ride, they put the largest stone in the upper section of the kidney. On another ride, the large stone was placed in the middle of the model. The doctors found that sitting at the front of the coaster resulted in 17% successful passage rates. At the back, the kidney stone passed about 64% of the time. This was probably because things get bumpier in the back.
More than a half million people go to the ER for kidney stones each year. However, for those that have an extremely small stone stuck in their kidney, they might want to give a roller coaster ride a whirl.
By Stephanie Weaver, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: The Disney Roller Coaster That Doubles As Medical Treatment
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