The slow-moving escalator and dense yellow canopy form a stunning tunnel of gold, adding warmth to the bustling commercial district. [Photo by Yu Shiqi/Tide News]

With Hangzhou now at its most colorful, a small area downtown has gone viral.

On Nov 30, the two ginkgo trees beside the escalator between Hangzhou Tower blocks C and D reached peak color, turning the passageway into a striking "tunnel of gold". The vivid leaves, paired with the rising escalator, have drawn crowds of residents and tourists eager to take photos.

Visitors riding the escalator are taken through a glowing corridor of gold, close enough to brush the branches swaying at arm's reach. Many stopped to take pictures of the scene.

"I didn't expect to find such beautiful ginkgo trees between two shopping malls — it feels like stepping into a painting," one visitor said.

Crowds gather to enjoy this fleeting seasonal beauty. [Photo by Yu Shiqi/Tide News]