"My family members didn't know about my job at the beginning, and they heard about my work through some news reports. They persuaded me to transfer to other positions but I convinced them with my skills and good performance," he said, adding that the standard for becoming a rappelling cleaner is strict, requiring a strong awareness of safety, responsibility and good health without underlying conditions or heart disease.

Safety is their top priority, so they usually work in pairs, with one responsible for watching and maintaining safety, while the other collects trash. "My first partner was Xie Tianxing. He is the same age as me and we worked as a pair for seven to eight years from 1999. We were a perfect team as we knew each other's ideas just through eye contact."

Li's current partner, Wang Nianfeng, is also the same age and they have worked together since 2022.

His work also includes being an emergency rescuer and guide.

"We workers at Huangshan all have these responsibilities and are jack-of-all-trades," he said.