The two cliff elevators, Qingyun and Fuyao, form China's only dual-elevator system in the Nizhuhe Grand Canyon. [Photo/Yongpai App]

A 288-meter-high cliff elevator developed and manufactured by Ningbo-based Hosting Elevator began operation on July 31 in the Nizhuhe Grand Canyon in Yunnan province, creating a dual-elevator route amid one of China's most dramatic canyon landscapes.

The Fuyao Elevator stands alongside the Qingyun Elevator, a 268-meter cliff elevator launched in 2021, forming China's only dual cliff-elevator access system. The earlier elevator transformed daily life for residents of Nizhuhe village, providing a safer and faster route between the canyon floor and the mountaintop. Local students, who previously spent hours climbing steep paths to reach school, can now make the trip in roughly 30 minutes.

As tourism in the canyon grew, the Qingyun Elevator's capacity of 400 passengers per hour proved inadequate. To address this, the new Fuyao Elevator was constructed to support both public transportation and tourism growth, boosting the site's total hourly capacity to 1,200 passengers and increasing the daily visitor limit from 4,000 to 15,000.

Compared with the Qingyun Elevator, the Fuyao Elevator operates under more challenging conditions, such as intense canyon winds and construction on a karst cliff. Zhou Wei, project manager at Hosting Elevator, mentioned that the team carried out several field surveys and refined the structural design, braking systems, and monitoring technologies to maintain stability and safety.

The elevator features a fully transparent glass cabin, enabling passengers to enjoy panoramic canyon views during their ride. Hosting Elevator said the project was independently developed, manufactured and commissioned in Ningbo.

The company stated that the elevator will remain free for local villagers and students, with designated channels for students to ensure their daily commute is not disrupted by tourism development.