Treacherous journey for students in western Hunan  

中学生爬绳索翻悬崖上学 官方称为少走500米路程

(ECNS) -- It has been learned that students in a remote village in Hunan province have been using a rope to scale a cliff in order to get to school, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

In Shuitian county, Baojing town of the Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture in western Hunan, middle school students face a treacherous journey on their weekly school commute. Part of it involves climbing down a ten-meter-high cliff, using a rope tied to a tree.

After the news made the rounds on the Internet, a massive number of Web users urged the local government to build a safety road for the students.

The local government responded that the students don't have to scale the cliff, but are taking it as a shortcut.

Students can get to school on a mountain road which is safe, but 500 meters longer, the government said.