On Sunday, an extreme sports lover from Shandong province ascended the 999-step stairs leading to the iconic Tianmen Cave in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, in a unique way. He made the climb in a handstand form.

Sun Guoshan has climbed 34 mountains in China this way and claims his Tianmen Mountain effort was the most difficult because the stairs are steeper than a mountainside.

There is a 150-meter elevation difference between the top and bottom of the staircase, roughly the height of a 50-story building.

The 38-year-old attempted the climb a dozen times before succeeding. The challenge took about five hours to complete.

"I fell almost 100 times this time, but previously, I almost never fell," he said. He pointed to the bruises from falling, claiming that they were his badges of honor.

Some visitors attempted to persuade him to give up, but more cheered him on, he said.