One mouth, one book, one chalk, one blackboard

The gap between China's cities and rural areas is a challenging reality for children in Yongping County, Yunnan Province, one of the poorest counties of China. Though receiving some support, the County's education institutions require far more attention.

Located at the foot of the mountains, Meihua Primary School has 73 students from remote villages. All faculty members board at the school during the week and return to their homes for weekends.

Children play sports at the playground of Meihua Primary School. According to Principal Zhang Xuelin, the school had very little recreation equipment before UNICEF provided sports kits in 2008.

Boys spin tops on an old Ping-Pong ball table during a class recession.

Children play a cooperative game in the playground.

A girl skips rope during a class recession.

The school library holds books donated by UNICEF and by individuals. Students can check out books for a week at a time. Reading is one of the few leisure activities they have in their tight study schedules.

The school's chairs and desks are decades old. Younger children have to stand throughout classes to reach their desks.

Students study Chinese in a classroom.

A teacher writes key points on the blackboard for the students to copy. The teaching method is what County Education Officer Mr. Yang Fei called "One mouth, one book, one chalk and one blackboard."

A boy takes notes during a Chinese class.

According to the teachers, some of the girls could not enroll until they were old enough to walk long distances on mountain roads from their homes to the school.

Sixth grader Yao Juan, aged 12, said she walks about 3 kilometers - more than one hour - to return home every Friday.

The first floor of the two-storied mud-and-wood structured dormitory. The boys' dormitory - built in the 1950s - has been assessed as a D-level (dangerous) building by the County Education Bureau.

Without enough financial support, the school is unable to renovate the dorm.