A once cliff-isolated village in southwest China has now embarked on a new journey to prosperity thanks to the country's rural revitalization drive, which has brought public infrastructure such as cable car and tap water to local Yi ethnic residents who used to be stranded on the cliff.
Perched high above the Dadu River Grand Canyon in Sichuan Province, Gulu Village was long cut off from the nearby city Ya'an due to a near-complete lack of feasible transportation.
Zheng Wangchun, head of the village committee and secretary of the Party committee of Gulu Village, was born and raised there. He still remembers the hardships of his childhood.
"Life was very difficult for us. I never left the cliffs until I was 12 years old. In that time, it was tricky and dangerous going down and climbing up. Our parents would be forced to tie their children with ropes to ensure that they didn't fall off while climbing. When I managed to finally go down the cliff, I saw an electric bulb for the first time, and I was really amazed," said Zheng.
In 2018, as part of China's poverty-alleviation and rural-revitalization push, a cableway was built, making it much easier for villagers to cross the gorge and obtain essentials.
"The cableway officially began operation on National Day in 2018. Once completed, it reduced travel time from three to four hours down to just three to five minutes, marking a new era of connectivity to the outside world," said Zheng.
"As you can see, there are no young people in the village anymore because it's too remote. The people you see here are only the elderly, but the Party secretary is really trying to improve our lives. For example, running water was introduced to the village for the first time last year," said Xiang Yucai, a villager.
In addition, with government investments in tunnels, bridges and roads, Gulu is now opening up to the wider world, bringing the possibility of integrated agricultural, cultural and tourism development.
Today, visitors are drawn to its homestays and scenic photo spots, while local industries, including walnuts, Sichuan pepper, and goat farming, continue to expand, breathing new life into the village.
Cliff-isolated village connected to prosperity under China's rural revitalization drive
