In southwest China, children once walked for hours to school. Now, a cliff elevator and cable car cut the journey through a canyon to 30 minutes.
For children living at the bottom of a canyon in southwest China, getting to school now involves a bus, a cliffside elevator and a cable car.
The unusual journey takes about 30 minutes. Not long ago, the same trip could take more than three hours on foot.
On Aug. 30th, 13 students from Nizhuhe Village in Xuanwei, Yunnan Province, and nearby villages in Guizhou Province made their way to Guanzhai Village Primary School for the start of the new school year. They travelled through the Nizhu River Grand Canyon on what locals call a “sky school bus”. The system combines shuttle vehicles, two cliffside elevators and an aerial cable car.
A Very Different School Run
Nizhuhe Village sits deep in the Nizhu River Grand Canyon, near the border between Yunnan and Guizhou. The village lies at the bottom of the canyon, while Guanzhai Village Primary School is at the top.
The vertical difference between the two is more than 500 metres.
In the past, children had to follow steep and narrow paths along the cliffs. Some sections were slippery and barely wide enough for a single person. On rainy days, the journey could become particularly dangerous.
The climb could take more than three hours each way. For many children, that meant leaving home before dawn. By the time they reached school, they were already exhausted.
The route has changed dramatically.
Now, students first take a shuttle vehicle from the village. They then ride a cliffside elevator for part of the climb before transferring to a cable car across the canyon. Another shuttle takes them to the school.
The whole journey takes about 30 minutes.
“Before, the road to school was difficult. Now the elevator and cable car make it much faster and easier,” said Wang Sichun, a third-grade student at Guanzhai Village Primary School.
Looking down through the glass walls of the elevator, she can now see the mountains and river from a completely different angle.
“I am happy every time I take the elevator,” she said.
From Cliff Paths to Glass Elevators
The change began in 2022, when the Nizhu River Grand Canyon scenic area opened.
A 268-metre cliffside elevator, known as the Qingyun Ladder, and an aerial cable car were put into operation. Local villagers could use the facilities free of charge. For children living at the bottom of the canyon, the new system provided a much safer way to reach the school above.
As visitor numbers increased, however, the original elevator gradually reached its capacity.
A second elevator was therefore added. The Fuyao Ladder, which stands 288 metres high, began operating on July 31st. It now works alongside the older elevator, increasing the combined capacity of the two lifts to about 1,200 passengers an hour.
The new elevator climbs more than 200 metres in less than a minute. Its glass cabin offers passengers a clear view of the canyon below.
For local children, the view is part of their new school routine.
For engineers, meanwhile, building an elevator into a steep karst canyon presented a very different challenge.
The cliffs are exposed to changing winds, while the equipment must withstand demanding conditions involving stability, vibration, moisture and corrosion. The two elevators were developed and manufactured in China, according to the project team.
A Safer Way Home
The local government and the scenic area have also made special arrangements for students.
Children have a dedicated passage during their journeys to and from school. Staff members and police officers are stationed along the route at busy times. The elevators and cable cars are also free for local villagers.
By the end of August, the “sky school bus” had safely carried students to and from school nearly 1,000 times, according to local figures.
The canyon has also become a popular tourist destination, bringing more visitors to the surrounding villages. Some residents have opened guesthouses, restaurants and small businesses. Others work as guides or sell local products.
Xinhua reported that the new transport system has also helped residents reach markets, medical services and other parts of the area more easily.
For some families, tourism has created a reason to stay.
Lei Xin, a student from Nizhuhe Village who recently graduated from primary school, told Xinhua that his parents had opened a guesthouse and snack shop in the village.
“Dad and Mum can stay with me,” he said. “That makes me very happy.”
Additional reporting by HKCNA.
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