Tunnel brings isolated villagers closer to the world

CHENGDU - On his way to visit a relative in a neighboring village, Chen Jiuping ran into three bears.

"I was scared to death. Fortunately, the bears didn't notice me," said Chen, who still looked terrified when recalling that memory from seven years ago.

Chen, 28, lives in a village surrounded by mountains in Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Sichuan province.