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Ling Paishi Zigzag Road in Chongqing, with 18 sharp turns, challenges even the most skilled drivers.
Ling Paishi Zigzag Road was designed to make life easier for residents of Minzhu village. (Photo Credits: X)
Nature’s beauty is undeniable, but human creations sometimes push the limits with structures that look almost unreal. One striking example is China’s Ling Paishi Zigzag Road, a mountain route in Chongqing nicknamed “a driver’s nightmare.”
Built along a steep cliff, the road rises 453 meters high and features 18 sharp turns that challenge even the most skilled drivers. Yet, it serves a vital purpose: making life easier for residents of Minzhu village, who once had to climb dangerous, rocky paths to reach their homes.
China’s Daring Zigzag Road Stuns Viewers
The zigzag road isn’t heavily trafficked, giving vehicles the chance to move slowly and navigate each sharp turn with caution, as seen in the viral video. Built of solid concrete and seemingly wedged between two mountains, the road offers breathtaking yet intimidating views from every angle.
Taking to X (Formerly Twitter), an individual wrote, “453 meters. 18 hairpin turns. Lingpaishi Zigzag Road in SW China’s Chongqing went viral as a driver’s nightmare. But for the 137 residents of Minzhu village, it’s been the road to school, hospital and hope since 2012. Before it was built, villagers had no choice but to climb steep, dangerous mountain trails.”
453 meters. 18 hairpin turns. Lingpaishi Zigzag Road in SW China’s Chongqing went viral as “drivers’ nightmare.”But for the 137 residents of Minzhu village, it’s been the road to school, hospital, and hope since 2012. Before it was built, villagers had no choice but to climb… pic.twitter.com/ZAmfO8deQJ
— Mao Ning 毛宁 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) August 20, 2025
Reacting to the post, a user wrote, “Perhaps good for hiking only no vehicles. Too dangerous.”
Another shared, “Respect to anyone who can drive here. I definitely couldn’t.”
“Challenges San Francisco Lombard Street,” a comment read.
An individual jokingly suggested, “Needs a slide and zipline.”
Another mentioned, “Make it one way during certain hours so it would be safer for the pedestrians too.
One more added, “The village in the mountains is called ‘Minzhu.’ This is a transliteration of democracy. The villagers are unwilling to leave their hometown, so this obviously unreasonable ‘waste of money’ road came into being. Some people think voting is the entire meaning of democracy.”
A Forgotten WWII Road In Chongqing
In the same Chongqing region lies another historic road, built during World War II. Once an important route, it is now nearly forgotten. Famous for its 24 dizzying, sharp turns, this winding path cuts through a remote mountainside in southwestern China. Unlike the Lingpaishi Zigzag Road, it no longer sees regular traffic; today, only a handful of curious tourists visit to marvel at its unique design.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
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