Photo: Courtesy of organizers

Outdoor sports enthusiasts and tourists from across the country took part in an exhilarating cliff-ladder climbing challenge in Xuanya village, also known as Cliff village in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday.

The climbing challenge, featuring the official Guinness World Records certification ceremony for the village's steel ladder recognized as the "World's Highest Elevation Steel Ladder," showcased the village's latest efforts to drive rural revitalization by integrating sports and tourism. 

"We hope this event serves as a window for more people to explore the beauty and uniqueness of the Cliff village, and experience the charm of our country's magnificent landscapes," a representative from Liangshan Cultural & Tourism Investment Group, which is also the event's organizer, told the Global Times.

Participants completed the 1.5-kilometer-long challenge, including a 925-meter steel ladder with a near-vertical incline of almost 90 degrees, according to the organizer.

Formerly known as Atulieer village, it was renamed Xuanya village in 2021 after extensive local household surveys showed that renaming would better support rural revitalization and local cultural and tourism industries. 

Situated at an altitude of 1,600 meters, the only access to the village required climbing an 800-meter vertical cliff and navigating a 218-step vine ladder. 

The vine ladder was replaced by a 2556-step steel ladder in 2016.

The village was a point of focus of the national poverty alleviation program. In May 2020, 84 households from the village, part of the targeted poverty alleviation program, descended the ladder and relocated to a centralized resettlement site in Zhaojue county. It marked a remarkable transformation for the village from vine ladders to steel ladders and later to modern stairways, becoming a testament to the nation's monumental poverty alleviation efforts.

The Liangshan prefecture has long struggled with poverty due to rough terrain and a harsh natural environment. In 2013, a total of 881,000 people lived in poverty in the prefecture, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The provincial government of Sichuan announced in November 2020 that all counties in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture were removed from the national poverty list.

To promote rural tourism, an investment of 330 million yuan ($45.5 million) was made to transform the once-impoverished village into a popular tourist destination featuring a revolutionary spirit, ethnic cultural charm, and outdoor adventure activities, said the representative. 

The village offers visitors an immersive experience of Yi traditional cuisine, traditional Yi dances, allowing them to explore ancient relics adorned with Yi totems, and delve into the rich history and culture of the Yi people.