New project elevates cliffside economy

"The Fuyao goes from the bottom to the top in just 50 seconds, which is nearly twice as fast as the Qingyun, and it can carry up to 81 passengers at a time, nearly double the capacity," Cai said, adding that the view of the canyon with meandering streams is unbeatable.

The names of the elevators are inspired by Chinese literary classics. While Qingyun evokes the idea of "soaring skyward", Fuyao translates as "pursuing higher aspirations".

Along with an aerial cable car, the two cliffside elevators connect Nizhuhe village, located at the bottom of the canyon, with the primary school situated on the plateau. After walking one kilometer from home, children can take one of the elevators up the cliff for free, before transferring to the cable car for the rest of the journey. They reach school within half an hour. Before the elevators were built, the only way to reach the top was a steep zigzagging path, with footholds carved into rocks and chains serving as guardrails.

Growing up near the canyon, Cai, the company chairman, recalled walking the dangerous mountain path countless times. He said that safety was a key motivation for the project.

Since the Qingyun was built, the canyon scenic area has welcomed more than 1 million visitors. The Fuyao is adding to the tourism boom, with the elevators' combined capacity to handle 1,200 passengers every hour, raising the area's daily peak visitor volume from 4,000 to 15,000.

"If the current trend continues, we expect more than 600,000 tourists next year, with elevator revenue projected to exceed 3 million yuan ($444,300)," Cai said.

Booming tourism has created new job opportunities for locals. Disposable incomes in Nizhuhe village last year increased nearly fourfold compared with 2022.

Li Yingqing in Kunming contributed to this story.