Dangerous path to mountain village
If you suffer from dizziness, Yushan Village, located in Hubei Province, is best crossed off your list of potential places to visit. Despite the beautiful views, the village's only connection to the outside world is a cable car at an altitude of 400 meters above the gorge.
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1. The Chinese village of Yushan is located at an altitude of 400 meters above the ground, and there is only one way to get to it - with the help of two cables that run between the two peaks of sheer cliffs. A steel cabin is attached to these cables, which is used to transport people and goods from village to village.
2. A pair of thick cables stretched between two high rocks, and a steel cage - that's the whole set of a simple device for transporting people and goods.
3. Just over 200 people live in Yushan. Prior to the creation of the cable car, built in 1997, its inhabitants had to spend several days to get to the nearest settlement.
4. The photos are breathtaking, not everyone could ride this cart. No insurance and high technology: travelers can only rely on the strength of the ropes.
5. All these years, only one person has been engaged in repair work and technical support of the funicular - Zhang Qiang. He monitors the condition of the cable car, funicular and engine, and lubricates the ropes and puts the funicular into action.
6. Weekly cable lubrication is a very dangerous job. Zhang has to ride the trolley all the way and apply grease to all the cables.
7. Zhang says: “I started working here as soon as the road was built. Nobody wanted to come here. My father was the headman, and he had to find a man for this dangerous job. In the end, after unsuccessful attempts to persuade someone, he appointed me to this post.
8. Zhang adds, “At first my father and younger brother helped me, but then my brother turned to other work, and my father’s health deteriorated, so now I take care of this path myself.”