Photo: South China Morning Post

Cities, SI-Urban

Urban cable car for Shanghai?

Is Shanghai getting an urban cable car? As reported by the South China Morning Post SCMP, the first-ever cable car connecting the west and east banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai is scheduled for completion in three years.

Vanessa Weiss

13. June 2023

The project is being developed by property developer Hongkong Land Limited, CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE (Hong Kong) and West Bund, which is supported by the Shanghai Xuhui District Government.

“The cable car will facilitate transport between the Puxi area on the western bank of the Huangpu River and Pudong on the eastern side, and can create a new level of excitement and adventure for both Shanghai residents and tourists from around the world,” said Cao Liqiang, Xuhui District Party Secretary, who made the announcement on the sidelines of an investment promotion briefing held recently in Hong Kong.

Up to now, ropeways in China are mainly known from alpine regions to open up points of interest or ski resorts. An urban ropeway in the metropolis of Shanghai could be the starting signal for further applications in other cities. It is true that most large Chinese cities and megacities have a very modern and efficient public transport system, which mainly works with underground trains. Due to the high population figures and increasing mobility needs of city dwellers, the potential space in the plus-one level could gain in importance in the future to complement urban public transport.