Nearly 500 school children in Fugong, Yunnan Province, China have to cross the often raging Nujiang River each day to get to school. The only problem is that there is no bridge.
In order to cross the river, the children have to take the journey via a single steel cable stretched across the canyon. Children as young as 4 years old have to transverse the river by themselves each day.
The children fasten themselves to the cable with a carabiner and a rope to slide over the 200 meter wide canyon. Occasionally children get stuck in the middle of the cable and have to wait up to half an hour in order to be rescued.
Five year-old A Pu, who got stuck in the middle for nearly 20 minutes once, said: “I used to dream of having a bridge, but then I learned that my dream was too expensive.”
Officials finally agreed to spend the $35 000 to build a bridge after a TV program drew attention to the dangerous situation.
Example of how it is to cross this river on a steel cable:
(link)
Edit: Students no longer have to cross the river on this cable. A bridge was built through donations.
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darkwing duck
That look like funny.
Jeremy
How do you find all this stuff? This is great.
Casual Adventurer
They’re lucky to have a cable…….. And a fine looking cable it is at that…… But do they do they show thanks for the good things that they have……… No…….. People are always complaining about the things they don’t have…… Give them a bridge and they’ll want cars, Give them cars and they’ll want a private helicopter…….. Hmmm Private helicopter….. can I get one with a mini bar?
Seth
Your an idiot “Casual Adventurer” sure it’s easy to say and jump into ridiculous conclusions such as they’ll want more. A simple bridge is not going to evolve into wanting more extreme things, it’s just facilities. Children have to do this daily just for an education? and their only wish is to have a bridge? you don’t even realize how sad of a life that is. Your an ungrateful idiot that disserve to live in a place like that to understand people.
Lj
Comment to “Casual Adventurer”, Your an idiot. Simply said. I can understand your point of view, if it were in regards to something a little more extreme. These children, and I quote, “as young as 4 years old”, need to cross this river everyday to get to school. I don’t think they are asking much by requesting a bridge. All they really want to do is get to school safely, I don’t think this is a plot to eventually have a couple drinks with a comfortable view on their way.
MateoTechnoScribe
Your an idiot……that sums it up, but the fact is that you’re an idiot…note the contraction?? YOU ARE=you’re. Now look in the mirror and shout it to the world!
Casual Adventurer
Go to your dictionary, look up the word “SATIRE”……
The people where I work, don’t have steel cables, they have bamboo poles to walk across……. And many of the kids get to work rather than go to school…….. Aren’t they lucky………
Jt
Wow, so in order to defend yourself over people saying that your an idiot, you make up a cheap lie? if that’s the case i doubt you’d come to weirdasiannews.com your just saying that to cover your ass because you don’t want people to call you a jerk.
bob
cool.
Cometstars
Hahaha, awesome!
Kaiya
To “Casual Adventurer” & “MateoTechnoScribe”, the both of you are JERKS.
Sheesh! The kids need a safe way to go to school. Is building a bridge too much to ask? Or should they get rid of the cable because it is too fancy…and show thanks to the river by swimming across it everyday.
What about the kids in America? They have cellphones, ipods, cars and they are still asking for more! They don’t even care about school. They skip classes everyday and I bet school is nothing but a long chore to them.
Fae
Sheesh! The kids need a safe way to go to school. Is building a bridge too much to ask? Or should they get rid of the cable because it is too fancy and focus on what they already have…a river? Yeah, they should show thanks to the river by swimming across it everyday. What about the kids in America? They have cellphones, ipods, cars and they are still asking for more! They don’t even care about school. They skip everyday and I bet school is nothing but a long chore to them.
milar
how do they get back?
Heather
I think it’s the same way.
nda
heu heu heu…..
very fantastic n funny….
dont try cut the cable ha ha ha…..
Tiji
So f-ing nice !
Build them a bridge to get back, but leave the calbe there so pussies would go to school with the bridge and more extreme children would stick with the cable.
Btw, crossing with the cable is WAY faster than by foot.
Camille
Casual Adventurer : yeah maybe there’s worst people in the world than them, but it’s not a reason to let this kind of things happen.
Just like if a kid was complaining about eating just a slice of bread by day and that someone replied : yeah you’re a lucky kid, in certain country they don’t even eat that slice of bread! It will just let the things as bad as they are, the World would never improve!
ok sorry my english is so bad, but I’m french and I didn’t like to see what that guy was saying without telling someting back
Casual Adventurer
Camille,
That’s the entire point….. Satire is a tool designed to raise people’s emotions on a subject.
People should be angry when children can’t go to school…. But how many people with angry words are game to go and make a difference?
I can give you contact details that will enable you to be involved in France’s international aid program, if you are interested. The coordinator for agriculture projects is my personal friend and we have worked together in SE Asia.
Lily
I wish education were that important in the states…le *sigh*
anonymousgirl
… Now I thought the Philippines has the worst. some children here in mountainous areas have to walk 4 hours just to go to school! ain’t that sad?…
Wally
Hahahaha! Maybe they could also think about building the school on the right side of the river.
Jeremy
This is rather outdated. It has been replaced by a bridge built with donations.
Sun Tzu
was posted on Thursday, September 20th, 2007