Luo Yunlian, 44, lives on the edge, literally.

Born and raised in a cliff-side village in Southwest China's Sichuan, Luo and more than 300 villagers, mostly ethnic Yi people, have mastered the skill of climbing down the 800-meter cliff on ladders, as the only path leading to the outside world was along the wild Daduhe River under the wall.

Luo Yunlian is the Party head of Gulu village and ethnic Yi deputy of the NPC.

Gulu, the village's name, comes from the sound of rolling rocks on the steep slope. The earliest ladders were made of wooden sticks and vines, said Luo, Party head of Gulu village and ethnic Yi deputy of the NPC.

"People were like monkeys, swinging on the ladder," she said. "When you step on the ladders, you could hear the wood sticks squeaking under your feet and beneath you was the angry river."

Luo said people carried baby pigs to the village to breed but later found they couldn't sell pigs on the market because no one could carry a grown pig while climbing down the ladder.

In 2003, the local government carved a zigzag path into the rock and locals called it the "mule path", as they could finally have mules to carry things for them.

But Luo said it takes villagers at least three hours to get to the nearest county walking through the mule path, and the narrowest part of the path is only 40 centimeters wide.

"It is still too dangerous, especially for children, who are walking to school on the path," she said.

Luo brought a suggestion to the ongoing annual session of NPC in Beijing, asking for more subsidies for road building in the mountainous areas in Southwest China.

She said after the village was hit by an earthquake in 2013, 43 of Gulu's 80 houses were badly damaged. The recovery construction has been slow, because all materials, including bricks and concrete, could only be carried by mules.

"We need a road," she said. "Not just for us to get out, but also for inviting people to come in."

Luo said Gulu's special landscape and leafy environment have attracted some tourists. In 2014, safety handrails were setup on the mule path, and a public toilet was also built on the path for increasing visitors.

Gulu villagers have been making a living by growing pepper and walnuts on steep slopes and walking a few hours to sell them, but if tourism could be a source of income, their back-breaking life would be changed, according to Luo.

Although life is tough by the cliff, Luo has never thought of leaving. She said she loves when the white flowers of wild pear trees cover the whole valley every spring.

"Visitors have been calling Gulu: a village on the stairway to heaven. They love Gulu, because it is beautiful, and special, and so do I," said Luo. "We will make life more convenient for both villagers and visitors, without destroying its beauty."

Peng Chao contributed to the story.