The ancient river-crossing tool, the cable slide

The cable slide is an ancient river-crossing tool, which was called "Zhuang" in ancient China.

- Structural Principle: It connects the two sides of a valley with a steel cable or a thick rope, with one end higher than the other. People can slide across the river valley from high to low by taking advantage of the inclination of the rope.
- Main Types: The flat cable slide has only one cable, which is basically straight. People can slide back and forth on it, but it will be rather strenuous when reaching the middle section. The steep cable slide has two cables for going and coming respectively, with one end high and the other low. It enables a fast and labor-saving slide across the river, but there is a risk of getting bumped and injured.
- Materials Used: There are yak-hair ropes, rattan ropes and steel wire ropes, etc. In the past, thick ropes as thick as a wrist were often twisted from bamboo strips.
- Usage: People who want to cross the river would hang the sliding boards made of bamboo or wood or special seats on the rope, or tie belts or ropes around their waists and hang wooden pulleys on the ropes, and then slide to the other side by taking advantage of the inclination of the ropes.
- Distribution Areas: It is mainly distributed in the areas along the Jinsha River, Nu River and Lancang River in southwest China. For example, around the Nujiang Grand Canyon in Yunnan Province, it is a traditional means of transportation for ethnic minorities such as the Nu ethnic group, the Lisu ethnic group and the Dulong ethnic group. Abroad, it is also used by the Indians in the Andes Mountains of Peru.
- Current Development Situation: With the development of the transportation industry, most cable slides have been replaced by bridges. Only a very small number of remote areas are still using them. Meanwhile, the cable slide has also developed into a traditional ethnic sports event and an amusement project.