Since its preliminary inception in 2006, after a decade of construction, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, also known as the “Deep Pit Hotel”, finally opened on Thursday. /VCG Photo

Locating 88 meters below ground and regarded as the world’s architecture miracle by National Geographic, the eye-popping hotel is built on the site of an abandoned quarry from the World War Two period in Songjiang District, the southwestern outskirt of Shanghai. /VCG Photo

Claimed to be the lowest lying hotel in the world, the five-star hotel has two floors above ground and 16 floors underground, including two stories underwater. The top floor is at ground level and features a rooftop covered in lush green flora, blending seamlessly into the surrounding area. /VCG Photo

Designed by the same architects who created Dubai’s Burj Al Arab, the hotel has a total of 336 guest rooms, along with an aquatic-themed restaurant, sightseeing platform, bungee jumping on the cliffs and other entertainment facilities. /VCG Photo

Heating and lighting through the use of geothermal and solar energy, the hotel was constructed to reduce the impact on the environment. Previous reports had said it would be finished in 2014, then 2016 – but delays, due to challenges in construction, emerged time and again. /VCG Photo

Travelers can book rooms at around 4,000 yuan (about 570 US dollars) per night on some online tourism sites. /VCG Photo