The Unexpected Fast Food Restaurant You'll Find At The Top Of A Mountain In China

Many people who travel love taking part in unique culinary experiences at every new location they visit. Some even travel specifically to explore the world through food. While fast food restaurants might not be high on the list of must-visit spots for most travel lovers, one specific fast food chain location might change your mind. Burger King has a restaurant at the top of Tianmen Mountain in China, definitely ranking it among the world's most unique Burger King locations. Tianmen Mountain is located in the northwest Hunan Province city of Zhangjiajie. 

It is an extremely popular tourist destination, as it is home to the Stairway to Heaven, which is a 999-step hike to the entrance of Tianmen Cave, also called the Gateway to Heaven, The Door to Heaven, or Heaven's Gate. You can also reach the high-elevation spot via a cable car or bus. Whichever method you choose, you'll be greeted at the top by a stunning view of the amazing forests and mountains of Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, and, perhaps more importantly to those who want to refuel after walking up almost 1,000 steps, a Burger King.

Burger King operates its iconic fast food franchise in more than 100 countries. In 2024, there were about 7,082 Burger King restaurants located throughout the U.S. and Canada, and more than 19,000 restaurants around the world. Its first location in China was opened in Shanghai in 2005. At the large dining area near Tianmen Cave, there are a variety of different food options, including fast food and local cuisine. Much like the unique Cliff Café in Guizhou, China, where you can enjoy coffee from atop a cliff, Tianmen Mountain's dining area offers visitors the chance to eat at a one-of-a-kind, historic natural landmark.

While we haven't found any definitive answer as to why Burger King would decide to open a restaurant at the top of a mountain next to the Gateway to Heaven, it does serve a practical purpose. Because of the limited dining options visitors have when visiting such a remote area, it makes sense that Burger King would want to be one of the few choices available. The landmark is a very popular tourist destination, and gets a huge number of visitors from around the world each day. People from North America might be excited to enjoy one of BK's specialty flame-grilled burgers at a familiar family-friendly American chain restaurant, and non-Americans might be drawn to the novelty of eating American fast food at such a historic landmark.

Tianmen Mountain is open from March through November of each year. You can sign up to take a one-day or multi-day guided tour through a local Zhangjiajie tour company, buy tickets ahead of time from Tripadvisor, or purchase tickets the day you visit at the ticket counter at the base of the mountain. Keep in mind that only 37,000 visitors are allowed to enter the park each day, so ordering your ticket ahead would be wise.

There are three different packages to choose from depending on what route you want to take and what method you want to use to get to the top. The A Line package takes you up the mountain in a long cable car ride and travels in a circular route around the top via a glass skywalk. You then descend the mountain via a shorter cable car ride and bus. The B Line package takes you up the mountain via bus and a short cable car ride and completes a circular route around the top via the glass skywalk. You then descend via a long cable car ride. 

The C Line package takes you up and down the mountain via bus and a short cable car ride both ways. Of course, you can also walk up the 999 steps, too. When you get to the top, you can visit Tianmen Cave and check out the awe-inspiring views from the glass skywalk, which is almost 200 feet long and close to 4,600 feet above the ground. When you get hungry, be sure to try out one of these 15 Burger King ordering hacks or find out if they have any of these 12 secret Burger King menu items.