Guoliang village in Huixian County, Henan Province perches on a mountaintop 1,700 meters above sea level and is besieged by cliffs on three sides. In 1972, to find a safe way in and out of the village, local people chiseled through the stone cliffs and created a 5-meter-high and 4-meter-wide passage, using their hands and bamboo baskets to remove the stones. The 1,300-meter-long passage took the villagers five years to complete. Before the passage, stairs chiseled out along the almost vertical cliff, nicknamed "heavenly stairs" by locals, was the only way to connect the village with the outside world. Although the stairs have been abandoned by local villagers, it is a favorite choice for hikers. (Photo/IC)
