Police escort over 4,500 children on Xinjiang-Tibet Highway

The road connecting Xihexiu township and Yecheng county in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is one of the most precipitous sections of the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. (Photo/Chen Kai)

The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, traversing the snow-covered Karakoram mountain range and glaciers, is dubbed a “sky road”.

Whenever the beginning or end of a semester arrives, a fleet of vehicles organized by police from the public security bureau of Yecheng county, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, would come to pick up children who live far away from the local school.

Police from the public security bureau of Yecheng county, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region pick up students from Xihexiu township to school on Feb. 16. (Photo/Chen Kai)

The project is carried out four times a year, covering a distance of over 250 kilometers each time and involving more than 4,500 students in 15 years.

Xihexiu township, located farthest from Yecheng county, connects to the county through a 127-kilometer road, one of the most precipitous sections of the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, which passes through a 3,500-meter-high ridge and over 60 turnings.

A police officer from the public security bureau of Yecheng county, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, inspects a bus responsible for picking up students from Xihexiu township. (Photo/Chen Kai)

In 2008, Yecheng’s public security bureau decided to form a “guardian group” of police to escort the township’s children along the road to school, and local transportation and education authorities arranged vehicles and drivers.

He Haidong, deputy head of Yecheng’s traffic police team, along with his colleague, inspected eight buses for the transport mission at 8 a.m., Feb. 16, making sure there were no glitches.

Photo shows a fleet of vehicles assigned to pick up students from Xihexiu township in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region running on the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. (Photo/Chen Kai)

“This semester kicked off on Feb. 13, but we had to put off the schedule of picking students up to school due to heavy snow,” said He, who has taken on the task for eight consecutive years, adding that the local police would inspect the road a week in advance to prevent possible dangers, and the chosen drivers are experienced and familiar with roads in mountainous areas.

The fleet arrived at Xihexiu township after a nearly 4-hour trip and was greeted by more than 200 children. Later, they rode the buses bound for school.

Students from Xihexiu township in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are excited on the way back to school. (Photo/Chen Kai)

He constantly sent warnings through an intercom during the return trip out of concern for complicated road conditions. However, the children felt more excited rather than worried, for they would soon meet their classmates and teachers after a long separation.

The line of vehicles appeared at the gate of the school at 6 p.m., where the principal, teachers and other students had already been waiting. After waving goodbye to the guardians, the children began to look forward to meeting them again when the summer holiday arrives.