China's dangerous iron cages which take villagers across a river at 850 feet high are set to retire after serving the remote community for 18 years

  

Local Chinese residents use the Yingge cableway to take a ride in an open-air metal cage over the Jinsha River in China

The ropeway, constructed in 1999, connects the remote Yingge village to the outside world 

One iron cage, suspended on two steel wires at 853 feet high, can carry up to five passengers 

The journey across the notoriously fast-flowing Jinsha River takes 10 minutes and costs 58p

After the government built a bridge nearby, the last of the perilous cages is about to retire

For nearly two decades, hundreds of residents on a remote mountain in China have been relying on several tiny iron cages to make their daily commutes.

The rusty cable cars, dangling hundreds of feet above a raging river, are their gateway to the outside world. 

After thousands of risky rides, residents at the Yingge village could finally bid farewell to the perilous form of transport as the last iron cage is about to retire, according to Chinese media.

  

Arguably one of China's most harrowing forms of local transport, the dangerous cableway is set to retire soon

The Yingge cableway, zipping between China's Sichuan province and Yunnan province, is going to be replaced by a bridge

The 853-foot-high ropeway, dubbed the 'highest cable car system in Asia', will halt its service because the government is building a new bridge nearby to serve the local community.

Built in 1999, the ropeway is suspended over the 1,540-foot-wide Jinsha River, which is notorious for its fast currents.

A new aerial video, posted by People's Daily on YouTube, has shown the operation of the terrifying pulley system.

The ropeway was built by 10 families from the isolated Yingge village of Yunnan province. It sends residents to the Fengjiaping village on the opposite Sichuan province.

Up to five passengers and one conductor could be carried by an iron cage, which is suspended on two steel wires, each around two inches thick.

Villagers from the remote region have used the cableway for 18 years to get across the fast-flowing Jinsha River

One iron cage, suspended on two steel wires at 853 feet high, can carry up to five passengers and one conductor

When villagers buy new furniture or home appliances, they would need to use the iron cage to have the goods transported

A modern bridge has been under construction nearby since May, 2013, and will complete in near future. Once the bridge is open, the dangerous commuting cableway will retire from its practical function. It's expected to become a tourist attraction

The system, operated by locals, charges commuters five yuan (58p) for a one-way ride across the river valley.

Even though a paved road was built to connect Yingge village to Qiaojia town in 2011, locals still prefer the iron cages because they're much quicker - a one-way ride by the ropeway takes 10 minutes while a journey on the road could take hours.

However, villagers will have a new and safer means of transport very soon.   

In April 2017, the two sides of the new Yingge bridge were joined, marking the beginning of the final stage in the bridge's construction.

The new bridge is set to open next June. 

It's been suggested after the iron cages completed their practical function, the locals would keep running them as a tourist attraction.  

The dangerous transport system is located in Yingge village, on the border of China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces

The cableway, operated by locals themselves, charges commuters five yuan (58p) for a one-way ride across the river valley

Even though a paved road was built to connect Yingge village to Qiaojia town in 2011, locals still prefer the iron cages because they're much quicker. Pictured, a worker is operating the pulley system over Jinsha River.

(The Mail, UK)