Gulu village, perched on a cliff at the entrance to the Dadu River Grand Canyon in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, was long isolated due to poor transportation options.

President Xi Jinping (center) speaks with Luo Yunlian (second from left), a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy from Gulu village in Sichuan Province, during a deliberation with deputies from Sichuan at the fifth session of the 12th NPC in Beijing, on March 8, 2017. (Photo: Xinhua)

On March 8, 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping took part in deliberation with lawmakers from Sichuan Province at the annual national legislative session. He expressed concern about the Gulu village's road access.

Lawmaker Luo Yunlian from the village reported to Xi that a locally funded high-altitude cableway had been completed and was awaiting inspection and operation. She explained that previously, there had been a sky ladder, which was later replaced by a mule trail.

The cableway was officially put into operation in October 2018, which marked a turning point for the village, reducing travel time from three to four hours to just three to five minutes. Today, the narrow mule trail in Gulu village has also become a popular hiking trail for tourists.

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