For children who live in remote villages in Sichuan Province, getting to school can be difficult. The mountainous terrain means some have to tackle dangerous cliffs and risk their lives in their daily commute. To get a glimpse of what this means for kids in Shunagle County, I went along with one 4th grader on her way to class. Here's that journey.

Nine-year-old Li Yan, together with her sister, goes to local elementary school that's one kilometer's away from home. Every morning, her commute to school starts from waving goodbye to her mother, who owns a humble convenience store, a door away from their bedroom. Her father, a truck driver, isn't always around.

"Do you like to go to school?" "Yes!" "What's your favorite subject?" "Math!"

Despite growing up in a small county, the girl's got a big dream.

LI YAN, 4TH GRADER SHUANGLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL "My idol is Dilraba, I want to be a star like her when I grow up."

Getting to school isn't always easy for other children who, like Li Yan, also live in the mountains.

In 2016, these heartbreaking images shocked the world, showing children - as young as six - from an isolated cliff village named "Atuler", also in Sichuan province, descending an 800-meter cliff on unsteady vine ladders to reach school.

Uproar over the students' gruelling commute brought promises of government action. A steel staircase was later built to replace the rickety ladder, while a permanent solution is still being searched for.

But here in Shuangle County, it's a very different picture. This 19 kilometer-long road was completed in 2009, connecting the impoverished community with the outside world. It costed 23 million yuan to build. And for children like Li Yan, it means they don't need to risk their lives for primary education.

LI QIUYUAN CGTN "But building the road to school is only a small step, there is still a huge gap in educational opportunities between students from rural area and those from the cities. It's estimated that more than 60% of students in rural China drop out before high school. The key now lies in what can be done to turn that around."

As soon as elementary school, facilities and quality of teachers start to create a gap between rural students and their urban counterparts. Li Yan's school only have 14 teachers to attend to 272 students in 6 grades. A majority of the teachers have to cover multiple subjects, including the school principal. As a result, a significant amount of them have quit school and followed their parents' footsteps in becoming migrant workers.

China has pioneered a merit-based system of education through standardized test scores. The system, once an equalizer, might now perpetuate inequality. And here at the Shuangle Elementary School, educators are doing everything they can to make a difference.

JIANG WENPING，PRINCIPAL SHUANGLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL "I hope the kids could learn more at school, and acquire the skill that could help them make a good living."

For the moment, Li Yan's got a simple wish - getting to see the outside world.

LI YAN, 4TH GRADER SHUANGLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL "I want to go to Guangdong Province. I'd like to see the ocean for once!"