China's longest funicular railway, 2,685 meters in length, will be put in use on the scenic Mingyue Mountain, Yichun city in east China's Jiangxi Province.

It is set to operate on trial during the upcoming seven-day May Day holiday, according to Lan Shuhua, director of the management bureau of the Mingyue (Bright Moon) Mountain.

The mountain itself was designated a state-level forest park for its bizarre cliffs, waterfalls, strangely-shaped pines and stones, and rare birds and animals.

The cableway cost a total investment of 19.5 million yuan (US$2.3 million) and has a vertical relative altitude of 1,098 meters, according to Lan.

The director said the cableway will officially go into operation on May 10 and it takes about 46 minutes for a one-way run
 
(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2004)