Smooth transport eases stress on way to exams

It's that time of the year again — the annual college entrance exam season. Millions of students, especially those in the country's vast rural areas, have to move to the designated exam sites, usually in a bigger town or city nearby.

On Monday, 122 senior students from Dachang High School in Wushan county, Chongqing, embarked on a significant journey as they boarded buses bound for the county town to participate in the 2023 college entrance exam. This marked a historic moment for Dachang High School as it was the first time students could take an expressway to the exam venue.

Dachang High School is located at the entrance of the Little Three Gorges, a river valley area on a tributary of the Yangtze River in Wushan county, making it the only rural high school in the area. It boasts picturesque natural beauty, but at the same time the terrain makes road access much more difficult.

For several decades leading up to this year, students had to undertake a boat trip to the county town for the exam. This lengthy and arduous journey not only posed challenges due to weather conditions but also added stress to an already intense period.

However, this year brought a remarkable change. With the completion of a new expressway, they could bid farewell to their previous "conquering wind and waves "experience and instead enjoy "smooth travel" to their exam destination. The new route not only reduced travel time but also provided a safer and more comfortable mode of transportation, enabling students to better focus and prepare for the exam.

In Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province, it's the fourth year that taxi driver Zhou Zhuangyi has provided free driving services to candidates and their parents for the exams.

He contacts candidates and their parents to confirm appointments and locations to make sure they get to the exam sites on time.

He plans the best routes a day before the exam starts, cleans up the taxi and prepares bottled water for candidates and their parents so they can relax and be comfortable in the car.

Zhou said it's his responsibility as a taxi driver to help people and give free lifts to students on their big day.