Facilities of scenic area help shorten children's journey to school in China's Yunnan

Sunday was the day for students of Guanzhaiwan Primary School in Puli township of Xuanwei city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, to report for the new semester. Children from Nizhuhe village packed their bags and set off for school. What sets them apart from other students is their mode of transportation.

Nizhuhe village is a small hamlet nestled in a deep valley carved by the Nizhu River meandering from south to north. In the past, the villagers' shortest route from the valley floor to the mountaintop was a perilous cliffside path, a journey that took nearly six hours for a round trip. Children and their parents living here had to make this arduous trek at least once every ten days.

In 2022, a significant change came to this challenging journey. A local scenic area along the Nizhu River was officially completed and began operations. A 268-meter-high sightseeing elevator and a cable car system were put into use, offering free access to the villagers of Nizhuhe and nearby areas. This provided the children with a direct "cloud shuttle" to the mountaintop.

Nowadays, thanks to the sightseeing shuttle vehicles, elevator and cable cars of the scenic spot, the children's journey to school was shortened to just half an hour.