The most incredible way for cliff villagers to return home | Rural life on a cliff in China

In the heart of Sichuan, China, lies a village so secluded it seems like a page ripped out of an adventure novel. Nestled atop a cliff standing proud at 1,400 meters, this village, affectionately dubbed ’The Village on the Heavenly Ladder’, relies solely on a nearly vertical Roman road for all its coming and going. Smash that follow button, folks, ’cause you’re gonna wanna hear all about this! Introducing Gulü Village, China’s runner-up for the most cliff-hanging, adrenaline-pumping village out there. Home to the Yi people, legend has it their ancestors, dodging the chaos of war, scaled the sheer cliffs of the Dadu River gorge with nothing but their bare hands to establish a sanctuary atop these dizzying heights. And so, Gulü Village was born. Back in the day, the villagers would venture out by wrapping vines around their waists and clutching onto tree trunks, inching their way up wooden ladders against the rock face, where one slip meant a deadly tumble down the cliffside. But hold onto your hats, ’cause in 2003, the game changed. The local government and the villagers teamed up to carve out a Roman road stretching 3 kilometers along the cliff face, bidding adieu to vine-traveling days. This path winds and twists along the cliff, through tunnels and over ledges, with your feet on the edge and boulders overhead, it’s like walking on cloud nine.