China’s new 945-foot cliff elevator cuts student’s 3-hour trek to 30 minutes

Children living deep inside China’s Nizhuhe Grand Canyon now have a far easier route to school after a 288-meter (945-foot) glass elevator began operating recently in Yunnan Province. The Fuyao Ladder rises directly along the canyon wall and has sharply reduced a journey that once took children more than three hours each way. The elevator serves communities in Xuanwei City, where Guanzhai Village Primary School sits about 1,650 meters (5,413 feet) above sea level. Nizhuhe village lies more than 500 meters (1,640 feet) below the canyon rim. Around 20 children from nearby communities previously relied on steep trails and exposed mountain routes to reach classes, with some staying at school as boarding students. A difficult journey becomes a short ride The old route could take more than six hours for a round trip. The steep paths offered little margin for error, especially for children making the trip regularly. The new elevator has changed that commute by connecting the lower and upper sections of the canyon. Fuyao Ladder works alongside the 268-meter (879-foot) Qingyun Ladder, which opened in 2022. The two elevators now form a pair of glass-and-steel shafts built into the canyon wall. An aerial cableway completes the journey, with passengers reaching its base by shuttle bus before taking the elevators and then a 30-minute cable car ride. Fuyao carries more passengers Fuyao travels at about 5 meters (16 feet) per second, so the ride between its lower and upper levels takes roughly 50 seconds. The cabin can carry as many as 81 passengers, almost three times the capacity of the earlier elevator. Together, the two elevators can transport about 1,200 passengers per hour. Their transparent walls also give riders an unobstructed view of the canyon as they climb the rock face. Residents and schoolchildren can use the facility for free through a dedicated school route that keeps them separate from tourist traffic. Lei Xin, a local student who transferred from Guanzhai Primary School the previous year, was among the first children to use the new elevator. He described it as faster and more spacious than Qingyun. A 288-meter-high cliff elevator has begun operation at the Nizhuhe Grand Canyon in Xuanwei City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, making it easier and safer for students living at the bottom of the canyon to reach their school on top of the cliff.Children living more than 500… pic.twitter.com/nOE5PDKZfP— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) August 5, 2026 Engineering a lift into the cliffs Ningbo Hongda Elevator developed Fuyao Ladder for the Nizhu River Grand Canyon tourism project, which began in 2017. Construction in the remote canyon presented difficulties, including limited working space, persistent humidity and fog, and the need for regular checks of the steel structure. The system uses redundant power supplies and backup equipment to maintain safety. Independent inspections were also completed before the elevator opened to the public. The names of the two elevators carry symbolic meanings. Qingyun comes from traditional Chinese wording associated with “ascending toward the clouds” or “toward opportunity.” Fuyao refers to a whirlwind that sweeps something upward. Tourism gains after second elevator The new elevator has also changed tourism in the canyon. Daily visitor numbers reportedly rose from about 4,000 to 15,000 after Fuyao began operating. The added capacity has eased congestion while creating more opportunities for local employment in transportation, guiding, and hospitality. For families living beneath the canyon rim, however, the biggest change is the school journey. Children who once spent hours walking steep mountain trails can now reach the upper level in less than a minute before continuing by cableway. Parents also face far less of the daily burden involved in transporting their children through the canyon.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.A versatile writer, Sujita has worked with Mashable Middle East and News Daily 24. When she isn't writing, you can find her glued to the latest web series and movies.