Ningbo builds solution for Yunnan students' long school journey

Ningbo Hosting Elevator Co Ltd builds a 268-meter-tall elevator for students in Nizhuhe village, Yunnan province. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

A groundbreaking "sky bus" built by a company in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, is transforming how children in a remote village in Southwest China's Yunnan province get to school.

Located in Nizhuhe village, the innovative transportation system combines a tall elevator and cable car to help students go from the valley to their mountain-top school in just 30 minutes. This was previously a three-hour journey. The project was completed by Ningbo Hosting Elevator Co Ltd, based in Ningbo's Yinzhou district.

Nizhuhe village sits in the deep valley of a 550-meter-high mountain, with Guanzhai Primary School located at the peak. Before, students from the village had to walk long distances on challenging paths, including a 10-kilometer detour that took over three hours, a dangerous two-hour canyon route, or a steep cliffside path that took about an hour to climb.

In 2019, Hosting Elevator began working on an elevator to improve access for these students. The project presented several challenges due to high humidity, frequent fog, and steep terrain.

"Transporting and assembling large equipment in this remote area was a major challenge," said Zhou Wei, the project manager from the company, "We solved this by breaking down the components into smaller parts and transporting them in stages."

In late 2021, the elevator was completed and became the tallest outdoor scenic elevator in Asia, standing 268 meters tall. The elevator takes just 90 seconds to reach a platform and then students transfer to a cable car, which takes about five to six minutes to reach the mountain top, and from there, it's less than 1 km to the school. This system has drastically reduced the students' travel time and provided them with a safer, more reliable way to get to school.

Hosting Elevator also ensures the system's long-term operation by providing ongoing maintenance.

"We have dedicated staff to handle maintenance and ensure the elevator's safety for the students," Zhou added.