Inside the world's narrowest city where people are 'sitting on edge of disaster'

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A travel blogger known for his globetrotting YouTube channel with over 4.62 million subscribers and more than 1,000 videos, has highlighted the perils faced by residents of what's been labelled the world's "narrowest city". In a recent video titled 'Entering The World's Narrowest City', Drew Binsky visited Yanjin in China's Yunnan Province, where high-rise buildings precariously occupy a strip between two mountains, right beside a river.

The city is so compressed at certain points that it measures just 30 metres wide. Drew observed: "The main road of Yanjin follows the river's path, winding through the city with barely enough space for two lanes."

He added: "But somehow, 100,000 people live here and they face the constant threat of floods and earthquakes as their homes are sitting on the edge of disaster.

"I came to Yanjin to document how people are living in this crazy environment despite the constant threat of catastrophe."

With most parts of Yanjin situated on the riverbank and very few bridges throughout the narrow confines, the city's roughly 450,000 residents live in a precarious balance, hemmed in by natural boundaries, reports the Express.

Perched precariously on pillars, the structures in this unusual city are designed to mitigate the challenges posed by unstable ground and periodic flooding. YouTuber @MegaProjects-su9sp showcased the city in a video, remarking: "Every house is closely connected with almost no vacant space.

"Moreover, you don't have to worry about getting lost because the entire place has only one main road. It is truly a single-road city. The unique geographical environment gives Yanjin a distinctive charm, filling people with curiosity and a desire to explore."

However, the city's unique layout also poses significant risks.

In 2009, Voice of America highlighted the vulnerability of many houses in Yanjin, which were built near hillsides, making them prone to earthquake damage, according to experts. A devastating 5.1 earthquake struck Yanjin County in Zhaotong City in 2006, resulting in the collapse of 6,000 homes, 22 fatalities, and over 100 injuries, as reported by China Daily.

The majority of the houses in Yanjin were constructed on land susceptible to seismic activity.

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