China has completed construction of two 280-metre cliff lifts in the remote Nizhue Gorge in Yunnan Province as a transport facility to make it easier for approximately 20 children from surrounding villages to reach primary school. The glass lift, mounted on a steep cliff face, has been designed to improve the safety of their journey.
The newest lift, named Fuyao, has just been completed and complements the Qingyun lift, which has been operating for around four years. According to Cai Xiong, chairman of Xuanwei Yatuo Tourism Development, the construction company behind the project, the Fuyao lift can cover a height of 288 metres in just 50 seconds and is capable of transporting up to 81 passengers at once, nearly double the capacity of the previous lift.
Before the lift was built, the only access to the top was via a steep, winding trail with footholds carved into the rock face and chains for safety. Now, after walking one kilometre from home, children can take the lift free of charge and then continue by cable car to reach school in less than half an hour.
The presence of both lifts has also attracted a surge in tourists to the area. Since Qingyun was built, the gorge has welcomed more than 1 million visitors, and daily visitor numbers have now increased sharply from 4,000 to 15,000 people with the combined lift capacity serving 1,200 passengers per hour. This growth in tourism has created new jobs and increased income for local residents.
Cai projects that there will be more than 600,000 tourists next year, with estimated revenue from lift operations exceeding 3 million yuan, equivalent to approximately 7.9 billion rupiah.
