A cable car crossing the Yangtze River in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, on November 3, 2016 (XINHUA)

Despite the ticket price hike, riding a cable car crossing the mighty Yangtze River in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality remains a significant part of local culture.

The ticket price of a Yangtze River cable car riding has now risen to 20 yuan from 0.8 yuan charged just before the National Day holiday in October.

However, the number of riders keeps going up to hit a record of 18,000 in a single day last month.

According to the local residents, from six o'clock in the morning, riders speaking dialects of Beijing, Guangdong, and other places would queue up for over two hundred meters to buy the tickets.

For one thing, it is a unique way to see the gorgeous scenery on the two sides of the river in daytime, and the night view of illuminating neon and twinkling stars.

Besides, riders could also feel the imposing rush and hear the thunderous roar of the Yangtze River from high above in the cable car.

For another, unforgettable scenes in the famous Chinese movies like Crazy Stone, Chongqing Blues and Door were shot here, which further give food for their imagination.

The cable car was put into service in 1987, as a primary commuting tool for locals, taking them four to five minutes to cross the river.

Nicknamed "airbus" of the city, the cable car is China's first large cross-river passenger cableway.

Thanks to solid safety checks and maintenance, there has never been an accident over its nearly thirty years' operation.

According to the cable car company, in the first half of this year, the number of riders exceeded 1.5 million, and the number is expected to surpass 2.5 million for the whole year.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2016)