Development at its peak

For four months each year, the man in his early 40s lives in Zhangjiajie. Each day, he jumps six or seven times.

He was not the first wingsuit flyer drawn to Tianmen Mountain, a major attraction in the region, and a perfect site for the extreme sport.

In 2012, the first Wingsuit Flying World Championship was held in Zhangjiajie. Zhang watched as a spectator as the world's best flyers carved through the sky with grace, elegance and precision.

He was equally captivated by the stunning, complex landscape below, a terrain so dramatic it seemed carved by nature itself.

The experience inspired him to become one of China's first certified wingsuit pilots.

"Tianmen Mountain's difficulty lies in the complexity of low-altitude flying," he says."The margin for error is extremely low."

From the air, Zhang has witnessed the mountain transform over the years.

"The changes are quite noticeable," he says, adding that high-speed rail has arrived and flight routes have expanded.

The cable car he has ridden countless times has been upgraded, and so has the glass skywalk.

"Services are more attuned to what visitors require," he adds. "Queuing areas now have seating and sunshades, with mist sprays for cooling during summer. Foreign card payments and multi-language services have followed."