The Gansu Modern Distance Education Project, hailed as a "Project for the People" and a "Gold Medal Project," has won over local residents, and its reach now extends throughout the province.

Gansu is a big province short on educational resources. Ten years ago, many children in the province's rural areas attended school at tables made of dirt, in cold and gloomy caves, dimly lit by oil lamps.

In accordance with the national plan, Gansu began implementation of a 104.03 million yuan experimental project of modern distance education for rural primary and middle schools in 2004. Now, a TV, a VCD player and a set of educational VCDs bring excellent educational resources to schools in rural areas at the speed of light. Mountains are no longer a barrier to educating Gansu's rural young people.
 
(Chinanews.com March 11, 2005)