Guoliang Tunnel: The Cliff Road Villagers Carved by Hand

High in the Taihang Mountains of Henan Province, the village of Guoliang sits on a plateau surrounded by sheer cliffs. For generations, the only way in or out was a steep, narrow stairway cut into the mountainside, known as the "Sky Ladder," a treacherous climb for anyone carrying goods to market or bringing in supplies. In 1972, the villagers decided to change that themselves. Led by Shen Mingxin, they made a plan to carve a road through and along the face of the cliff. According to several accounts, they had asked for a government-built road and been told it wasn't worth it for a village of about 300 people. To raise money, they sold their goats and the yams they grew, and used the money to buy steel hammers and drills. Thirteen villagers led the work. With no power tools or heavy machinery, they cut into the rock mostly by hand, swinging hammers against chisels, and used explosives to blast away sections of the cliff. Openings were cut into the tunnel's outer wall as they went, so the rubble could be pushed out over the edge. At the hardest stage, they advanced about one meter every three days. Over five years, they broke about 4,000 hammers, wore down 12 tons of steel drill rods and moved about 26,000 cubic meters of rock. At least one villager died during the work. Local records name Wang Huaitang among those who gave their lives. On May 1, 1977, the Guoliang Tunnel opened to traffic, and the first motor vehicle drove into the village. The finished tunnel runs about 1.2 kilometers, about 5 meters high and 4 meters wide, curving along the cliff face with dozens of those window-like openings looking out over the valley far below. The road changed Guoliang. Its dramatic setting drew filmmakers, photographers and, eventually, tourists. The tunnel became part of the Wanxianshan Scenic Area, and today it's often listed among the world's most dangerous roads. The tool marks from the villagers' five years of hammering are still visible on its walls.