500 Chinese Students Cross Raging River Every Day to Get to School

[saikira]

In order to get to school, every day 500 students in a village of Yunnan, southwestern China have to fasten themselves to the cable with a metal carabiner and a rope and slide across the 200 metre wide canyon.

A bridge is to be built in this Chinese village where children are forced to cross a raging torrent on a steel cable to get to school. Nearly 500 children, from Maji village in Fugong town, Yunnan province, cross the most dangerous stretch of the Nujiang River each day.

They fasten themselves to the cable with a metal carabiner and a rope and slide across the 200 metre wide canyon.

The youngest pupil, A Qia, 4, has to go over by herself each day.

The villagers say that usually four-year-old children are taken by their parents, and begin to go by themselves from the age of five.

A Pu, five, still remember his feeling when he was stuck in the middle of the cable for nearly 20 minutes once, said: “I used to dream of having a bridge, but then I learned that my dream was too expensive!”

However local officials finally agreed to spend £35,000 on a bridge after a TV programme was made about the children’s dangerous daily journey.

Via Weirdasianews from Daily Times

[Victor]

Wow, those kids look like they're enjoying themselves. Watch, eventually someone's gonna fall and then they'll just have to find another way to school, lol.

[blackrabbit2999]

yeah they seem to be having lots of fun.

those daredevils can get a job with those high rise construction companies already.

[Nightshade]

I miss HS camps =/ wanna go on the flying fox again

[DEPTHSING]

they are obviously having a lot of fun from the expression on their faces.dun they have an idea of the danger involved?

and the 5th pic~ the hook looks like it's rusting. i am sure worried abt these kids. Cheap method but nevertheless dangerous.

[peckle]

Now if transport was like this I think more people will leave their cars at home.

[saikira]

lol~on one hand its fun on the other its dangerous~

[autumnholy]

Melancholy, or adventurous, or both?

Looks like both....
Can't have that in the city, or the kids will be thrilled, and the parents will be grilled...

[Firestorm717]

Life is really difficult for people in the countryside in China...despite all the industrialization, a lot of rural areas still have terrible conditions like this. I feel really bad for the kids that have to go through this just to get an education. Even though...well, ignoring the danger, the ride sounds a bit daredevilish fun .

[sen-cha]

That is horrible, I feel sorry for them, although they seem happy...

[collegeboy]

a regular school day there is like a military camp in some other countries
god protect their innocence