The “Safest Cable Car in China” is on Huangshi Village — the mastermind behind it is actually Taiwanese!

▲ The scenery of Huangshi Village is dreamlike. (Photo / Provided by Zhangjiajie Huangshi Village Passenger Cableway Co., Ltd., the same below)

Reported by Yang Huiling, Hunan Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie in Hunan is renowned for its breathtaking mountain scenery. In addition to visiting the core scenic area and Tianmen Mountain, two national 5A-level tourist attractions,“Huangshi Village”is also beloved by tourists. Situated at an altitude of over 1,100 meters, Huangshi Village boasts the world’s only remaining spectacular peak forest stretching 20 kilometers in length and about 10 kilometers in width. Countless stone peaks and pillars stand rugged and upright, adding poetic charm amidst the sea of clouds. Hence the saying, “If you don’t visit Huangshi Village, your trip to Zhangjiajie is wasted!”

▲ The Huangshi Village cable car is hailed by local guides as the safest in China.

To enable visitors to explore more conveniently, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Management Office and Kaohsiung Development Trading Co., Ltd. from Taiwan jointly invested in building China’s first reversible aerial tramway“the Huangshi Village Cableway”. It officially opened to the public on November 18, 1997. The line stretches 1,013 meters in length with a height difference of 440 meters, and has a capacity of over 2,200 passengers per hour. It adopts the latest international cableway technology, includes a dual-power system, and features China’s only five transparent crystal cabins — the Maokong Cable Car in Taipei also sent personnel to study these cabins.

The success of the cableway and Huangshi Village tourism was actually driven by a father-and-son Taiwanese business duo.Zhang Jiayuan, General Manager of Zhangjiajie Passenger Cableway Co., Ltd., stated, “Back then, we invested over 48 million RMB just to build the cableway. We joint ventured with the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Management Office — we held 51% of the shares, they held 49%.” As the first Taiwanese businessman to invest in Zhangjiajie, he said proudly, “Whether it was investing in the cableway or developing local tourism, we were all first. Tourism development in Zhangjiajie began in 1982, starting from Huangshi Village!”

He mentioned that most cable cars have only one external power supply, along with an emergency rescue generator. But to ensure safety, “we requested the power company to install two external lines (dual power), so that in case of a power outage in one area, we could switch sources. Additionally, for emergencies, we have a generator available for rescue use!” Zhang Jiayuan revealed that although many safety-conscious cable car companies also adopt this method, “Huangshi Village Cableway was the first to implement it!”

▲ The Huangshi Village cable car runs very close to the mountainside, giving passengers a thrilling experience.

As one of Zhangjiajie’s five premium scenic routes, Huangshi Village is the earliest developed tourist attraction in the area. It is reported that at the end of 1979, Chinese master painter Wu Guanzhong once sketched here. Ascending Huangshi Village and strolling along Jinbian Stream, he was awestruck by the magnificent scenery. The following year, he published an article titled “Hidden Beauty Unseen by the World” in a newspaper, instantly propelling Zhangjiajie to fame.

The number of heads of state, dignitaries, and business elites who visited out of admiration reached tens of thousands. Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji also personally visited Huangshi Village and wrote the poem “There Are Immortals atop Zhangjiajie,” showcasing just how extraordinary the scenery here truly is. Legend has it that the Han Dynasty general Zhang Liang, disillusioned with worldly affairs and having resigned from office, secluded himself in the wilderness. When he wandered here and was besieged by soldiers, he was fortunately rescued by the Yellow Stone Elder, hence the site was later named Huangshi Village.

▲ With misty clouds drifting by, reaching the mountaintop feels almost like being in a fairyland.

Huangshi Village has over 20 major attractions, divided into two walking trails — one in the north and one in the south. These include breathtaking spots such as the “Heavenly Book Treasure Box,” “Sea-Pacifying Divine Needle,” “Southern Heavenly Gate,” “Southern Heavenly Pillar,” “Star-Picking Terrace,” “Sky Bridge Relic Mound,” and the “Six Wonders Pavilion.” Zhang Jiayuan laughed and said, “Back then, my father, Zhang Furen, came here, took one look, didn’t even think twice, and immediately took out $100,000 USD to give to the local forestry administration, declaring his determination to develop the area.”

▲ % You can see different colors of the sky from here.