Hi there! Wonderful to see you today. Fresh pot of coffee to tease the palate and a colourful shelf full of virtual treats to choose from. Y’know, one place I have yet to go is mainland China though I am not sure this one is going to be at the top of my list of things to see and do while there. I’ve seen the ‘spidermen’ as they are called, crawling up 40 stories of bamboo scaffolding as they build a new skyscraper in Hong Kong. That must be relatively easy compared to these workers. They are building a wooden path on the side of a sheer mountain, thousands of feet above the ground. Every day they go about their business on Shifou Mountain in Hunan Province, operating with hardly any safety measures, knowing that one little slip will be their last.
When finished, the 3-foot wide wooden sightseeing path will stretch for 1.8 miles, and will have the distinction of being the longest of its kind in China. Don’t lean too far out for a better look or camera angle. It’s a sheer drop and certain death thousands of feet below.
Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this construction is the fact that workers must drill holes into the face of the mountain in order to implant the wooden supports that hold up the walkway. (I would have thought metal supports would make more sense, no?)
The workers seem unfazed by the danger they face every day as most of them are local to the mountain area and are used to working above the ground.
“Young people don’t want this job, as it means we have to stay deep in the mountains for months, sometimes even years… But I don’t feel it’s so different from any other job. It’s not as dangerous as people think. You just wear the ropes, and then everything is okay, “says worker, Yu Ji.
It is hoped this footpath, which will offer unique and spectacular mountain views, will be a great tourist attraction and maybe it will be.
Yeah well maybe…but I may leave that adventure to my next life. I wonder if they have a pizza delivery service? Noodles, maybe…
See ya!
Bob
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