Regarded as one of the most dangerous roads in the world, the Lanying Cliff Road is a symbol of Chinese determination in the face of insurmountable odds. In 2001, the 23 households of Lanying village, a small community almost completely isolated from the outside world, decided to carve a drivable road through the side of a mountain.
Each household was tasked with hand-carving a section of the 1.2-kilometer road. Construction equipment would never have fit in the narrow space, and the roughly 80 people involved in this monumental endeavour couldn’t afford it anyway, so all the work was done primarily with chisels and hammers.
It took the people of Lanying village nearly four years to finish the rough foundation of what would become Lanying Cliff Road, but it was only in 2016 that Chongqing regional authorities decided to approve the reinforcement and widening of the rudimentary road, justifying its role in alleviating poverty in the area.
Extremely narrow and steep, with the gradient hitting 22.9% in some sections, the Lanying Cliff Road requires skill and patience to navigate safely, but those brave enough to try it are treated to spectacular views of Lanying Grand Canyon, the deepest canyon in Chongqing.
Looking for more impressive Chinese mountain roads? Check out the Daobeiliang Sky Road in Shizu, or the Guizhou Lu’an Expressway, which passes through shaved-off mountain peaks.
