Teacher marks 37 years, often solo

Zhang Xiyang, 56, has been a teacher at the only primary school in a remote village in Anshun,Guizhou province, for 37 years, often alone and teaching all subjects from Grade 1 to 6.

Located atop a 1,200-meter mountain, Yaoshang village is nearly three hours'drive from the central area of Anshun's Pingba district in Guizhou province. There is no regular bus; people usually ride motorcycles.

In the early 1990s, the village was rich in bauxite, and most of the young people engaged in mining industry. Zhang, a native of the area, chose to become a teacher.

He has taught more than 300 students since he started his career in 1984. During the past 37 years, other teachers have come and gone at school, but Zhang persists. Like a daily sunrise, he's always there.

The school has faced an enrollment decline in recent years, as more local residents leave the village to seek job opportunities, bringing their children along. Now, Zhang is the sole teacher of six pupils in Grade 4. He gives classes in math, language, art and sports.

"Our village is far from the city, and I like to work hard to give these left-behind kids a bright future by providing them with more knowledge," he said.

Through Zhang's efforts, the village's enrollment rate for primary school children reached 100 percent. More than 30 of the students he taught have entered colleges.

Zhao Yandi contributed to this story.