Stairway to heaven: 300ft spiral staircase to give Chinese tourists a taste of the high life – as long as you don’t have a heart condition

Just looking at these stairs is enough to give anyone vertigo, but they are expected to attract thousands of tourists in China.

The 300ft spiral staircase has been installed on the wall of the Taihang Mountains in Linzhou to offer the thrill of mountaineering without the danger. But senior climbers beware – you have to be under 60 to be allowed on the staircase.

Chinese tourist officials in Linzhou,  Henan province, hope the stairs will give visitors a real experience of the mountain range.

‘Here the wind blows and batters them, the birds fly past them, the stairs creak. It is a lot more authentic than an elevator,’ explained one official.

However,for health and safety reasons, the stairs do not offer admission to just anyone.  All potential climbers have to sign a form  stating that they have no heart or lung problems and are under 60 years of age.