Tunnel opens world to Derung

Project will help bring an end to the isolation of ethnic group

A controlled explosion on Thursday signaled the breakthrough of a highway tunnel in the final stage of a project in remote Dulongjiang township to connect China's Derung ethnic group, the country's smallest, with the county seat of Gongshan in Yunnan province.

The highway, which is expected to open in June, will provide a lifeline to the ethnic group, which is cut off from the outside half of every year because of heavy snow.