Education is one of the top priorities for China in the talent competition. The pressure on children to perform academically begins even before they start school. But for some, play is redefining early childhood education. Today, in our special series Beyond the Wall, CGTN correspondent Han Bin meets a woman who has developed a new approach. It's a direct challenge to entrenched ideas about how children should learn. It puts play at the very heart.

Around this magical bamboo forest of Anji, a joyful revolution is unfolding. And this could bring a fundamental change to early childhood education in China. It's from the bottom up, but it's spreading fast. Child-centered, and play-based. Here, every single activity has an educational goal.

CHENG XUEQIN ANJI PLAY CREATOR "We began to ask ourselves what play is to the child. We discovered that even 80-year-old grandmas still remembered how they played house or how they played bride. In these memories adults were not, in fact, controling the child's play. And we discovered, untangled what was at the heart of the matter: returning the right of play to children, to let them truly show themselves to us. and allow us to discover the true child in their experience of play. And it's only in the process of discovering the true child that we can know what we should be doing as educators."

The concept of "True Play" was created by Cheng Xueqin, some 20 years ago. Since then, it has been extended to 140 public kindergartens in Anji county.

CHENG XUEQIN ANJI PLAY CREATOR "They dare to take risks and to explore and then, in this process, take part in reflection. And so children in this context, an environment that is full of questions, will engage in continuous exploration and problem-solving. This kind of learning is both deep and complex."

CHEN XUEFENG EDUCATION SPECIALIST, UNICEF CHINA "If the children do not take adventure, they may not feel the real deep happiness."

Education specialist Chen Xuefeng believes Anji Play marks a shift from the practical education in most schools which involves rote learning.

"In the early years, the risks can really boost the children's cognitive, social, emotional, language and physical development. It really brings more imagination, more creativity, and more self-confidence in their lives."

Anji Play gives children the right to play whatever they want, and with whomever they choose. They can do some things other schools may never allow. It turns schools into wonderlands for kids.

CHENG XUEQIN ANJI PLAY CREATOR "For instance, they've said, we have liberated the child but are we still teachers? Which is to say, as teachers we have stepped back, and let the child lead, but in this type of education, are we still fulfilling the role of the teacher? If we shut our mouths and let children play 'frivolously', is this still education?"

CHEN XUEFENG EDUCATION SPECIALIST, UNICEF CHINA "The early creative play can really help children to regulate themselves, to be more concentrate, resist more distraction, it's a kind of mindfulness, that is most needed in the real learning.”

Chen believes these creative plays in stores, sharing, and negotiations, provide daily opportunities for kids to engage in communication, and may eventually turn their experience into knowledge. They can boost their confidence for learning and have a positive influence on their future lives.

HAN BIN ANJI COUNTY, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE "Parents like me in China, who are taking part in a heated debate about education, want our kids to be prepared for the 21st Century. But we often remain tied to the ideas from our own school days. Anji seems to provide a new outlook for the kids' future."

But Anji Play isn't just the experience alone. A debrief is done after each play. Teachers film every child during their activities on the playground and let them learn from each other.

CHENG XUEQIN ANJI PLAY CREATOR "Allow more people to discover the child, liberate the child and, in this process, respect and understand the child. In taking this stance, we can build a model of education that can truly incite the child's spiritual development."

CHEN XUEFENG EDUCATION SPECIALIST, UNICEF CHINA "Play is the easiest way for all kids to get an equal opportunity to develop, especially children in the vulnerable or disadvantaged condition."

CHENG XUEQIN ANJI PLAY CREATOR "Play that represents a return to a natural state is the kind of play that children truly cherish. And I believe once people discover the child, they will absolutely change our education."

Cheng Xueqin knows there's a long way to go to change any educational approach. And with Anji Play, she's determined to give the joy of childhood a running start in forming young minds. Han Bin, CGTN, Anji County, Zhejiang Province.