If drone footage of China’s Mount Hua skywalk makes you feel queasy, spare a thought for the ancient monks who would have taken the dizzying route on their journey towards religious enlightenment.
The network of wooden boards running alongside the 2,160-meter (7,000ft) holy mountain in Shaanxi province, are walked today by tourists with an appetite for adventure – and the desire to snap a nerve-jangling selfie.
Hundreds of years ago, the wooden path, cobbled together on the side of the mountain’s granite facade, would have been a key route for taoist followers attempting to reach the summit.
According to UNESCO, the area contains more than 300 stone tablets and 570 spiritual rock inscriptions, some dating as far back as 1,000 years ago.
Footage of the route, regarded by many as the “most dangerous” in the world, gives an indication of how one false move could have sent a hiker to their death hundreds of meters below.
READ MORE: Chinese police debut new anti-drone gun that shoots illegal UAVs from the sky
Released by Xinhua News affiliate, New China TV, the sweat-inducing drone footage shows crowds of tourists lining the narrow boardwalk above a sheer drop.