A steeply inclined trolley track in the canyon of Luyuanping Scenic Spot in Banqiao, Enshi — at the junction of Hubei province and Chongqing — can take your breath away even before you ride it.

  It's a spectacular oddity deep in the fissure of the canyon, leading to what is known locally as Tiankeng Village.

  At 380 meters, it claims to be the longest inclined trolley in the world, costing 73 million yuan ($11.35 million) to build.

  Residents once had to get in and out by zig-zagging along cliffs where the average altitude is 1,700 meters. Since 2016, a plank trail was rebuilt with 45 turns and 1,819 steps.

  That greatly improved foot traffic, but now, with the steep trolley, it's even easier for tourists to catch some stunning views.

  The track climbs 300 meters at a 47-degree angle. A single trolley car can accommodate 26 people and takes only three to four minutes for a one-way trip.

  The main rails of the trolley consist of steel pipes — an up track and a down track. A special maintenance trail is reserved between the tracks.

  Building this trolley was no easy feat. It required more than 1,000 metric tons of steel, which is hard to carry when there's no road for large machinery or equipment. Materials were carried by hand to the construction entrance along the cliff path. Workers installed four ropes with pulleys to slide the materials to the site.

  When people enter the trolley car and look down to the valley floor, they can take in a variety of views depending on the vertical angle of change. For the observant, there's not only picturesque and precipitous scenery but also beams of sunlight on a waterfall, which form a perennial rainbow.

  (Source: chinadaily.com.cn)