2016年CRI Cliff Village Commuting via Wooden Ladder Raises Concerns（在线收听）

(source: CCTV)

The official of a village in southwest China has pledged to build a steel ladder as a temporary alternate passway for villagers to the wooden one hanging off a cliff right now.

The village official also announced possible road building plans as a long-term solution to the traffic inconvenience.

The issue was first disclosed on May 24 by Beijing News.

According to the report, the village is situated on a cliff. The only way to get out of the village is to climb down through a wooden ladder hanging on the cliff.

The facility has put villagers' life in danger, especially for children who have to go through here every day to go to school.

Adults will go out shopping for daily supplies once a week, also by climbing the ladder.

Following the official's response, however, many argued that there might be a better solution.

Someone questioned why the school has to be located outside the village.

The official said if the school was moved up the cliff, the power or water supply could not be guaranteed considering the poor facilities in the village.

Others proposed possibly relocating the village.

The official responded by saying that most senior villagers may refuse to leave the place they have been living for their lifetime, adding that the high living cost in cities may also be a challenge for the villagers.

The village named Atule'er locates in Sichuan Province. It sits 1,400 meters high above sea level, which forces the villagers to take a dangerous journey between their homes and the outside world, since the only “road” they can take is made of rattan.

There are 15 schoolchildren who go back home by the rattan ladder three times every month. The youngest one, only six years old, was carried by his father climbing on the cliff. The trip took about one hour.

According to the township head, seven or eight people have fallen to their death along the way. He added that the village used to have an electric elevator, but it cost too much money and the villagers couldn’t afford it.