This autumn domestic and international visitors are flocking to Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, as the scenic area pairs extreme sports with sightseeing in its best season for travel.

With its layered peaks and unique natural conditions, Tianmen Mountain has become a distinctive venue for high-altitude extreme sports.

The 2026 Wingsuit Flying World Championship, held from Sept. 6 to 12, has brought 16 elite flyers from 11 countries to compete in speed and precision-target events above its autumn slopes.

Among the spectators was Yuri, a tourist from Switzerland, who said the course put the crowd right under the action.

"You see, they fly a lot and I really like that you can stand here and they fly over your heads," he said.

Pairing the races with sightseeing has extended visitors' stays and lifted both footfall and spending at the scenic area

According to statistics, Tianmen Mountain received nearly 30,000 inbound tourists since the start of the competition, an increase of 73 percent from a week earlier.

Among them was Jack Luria, a tourist from the United States, who said the event added a new dimension to his visit to Zhangjiajie.

"It's been really impressive, and it's super cool to watch. I've never seen anything like this before. We planned a whole China trip, and Zhangjiajie's beautiful mountains are unlike anything else in the world. It's super beautiful, and we wanted to see it for ourselves," he said.