Students of a middle school in Huzhu County, Qinghai Province, have had their own "Campus Internet Cafe" to go surfing since this month, with the help of a Taiwan-based company.

The cafe, which offers the 870 students two hours every week, "minimizes the gap between students and the world," said Dong Weitai, head of the remote Halazhigou Middle School.

This school is one of the first five member schools in the project called "Town & Talent Technologies," sponsored by Inventec Corporation.

The project, according to Sayling Wen, vice-president of the Taiwan-based company, is a non-profitable charity program aiming at popularizing Internet education in China's western regions.

The member schools are offered with free computers and educational software, said Lin Guangxin, president of "Town & Talent Technologies," responsible for the project.

To date, 100 computers, five digital cameras and 8,000 software programs have been provided to the member schools. Besides teaching students, it will also help train farmers and provide agricultural information beginning this August, Lin said.

The "Town & Talent Technologies" project has helped 51 schools in western China.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2003)