Reconstruction brief at press conference

Special Report:One Year after 5.12 Quake

The Sichuan provincial government has briefed reporters in Chengdu on the current reconstruction work going on a year after the May 12th earthquake.





TheSichuanprovincialgovernmenthasbriefedreporters
inChengduonthecurrentreconstructionworkgoingona
yearaftertheMay12thearthquake.

A government spokesman said the rebuilding of rural houses is expected to be finished by the end of September, while the rebuilding of urban homes will be completed by next May.

He noted the rebuilding of 99 percent of basic public service facilities, including clinics and hospitals across the province, will be completed in two years. He said the government has already helped nearly 1.3 million quake-affected people find new jobs.

In addition, he said the government has pledged to have 95 percent of students back in school buildings, rather than temporary structures, by the end of this year. The spokesman said 5,335 students were dead or missing from last year's earthquake.

Beichuan survivors remarry

Special Report:One Year after 5.12 Quake

The Wenchuan earthquake has left many people losing their other half. Finding a new companion is a way to help these people move on.

Yang Changbin and Zhou Xiaohong are tying the knot. And there's something even more symbolic. Tree planting is a local wedding custom meaning life and growth. The idea is particularly appealing to these twenty couples.

Treeplantingisalocalweddingcustommeaninglife
andgrowth.Theideaisparticularlyappealingto
thesetwentycouples. (CCTV.com)

Few weddings could attract so much media attention. A year ago, the earthquake brought devastation and heartbreak to these people. Today, that has been replaced with joy.

Yang and Zhou lost their spouses and children in the earthquake. They were introduced by relatives and decided to start over again.

Yang Changbin and Zhou Xiaohong, Beichuan Newlyweds, said, After all, we've survived the disaster. We want a complete family. You probably have a stronger wish for a complete family than others. What's your hope? We hope to build a happy family together. Both of us had happy families before the earthquake, so we want to have that again. Are you planning to have a child? Absolutely. Children make it a complete family.

Many couples say the marriage restores their confidence in life. And because they endured the same pain, they understand each other very well.

Zhu Yuncui, Beichuan Newlyweds, said, "So many people care about us and helped us start a new life. How could we not move on? Our children are happy about the marriage, so we don't have other concerns."

Doctors needed in quake region

Special Report:One Year after 5.12 Quake

Many hospitals in Dujiangyan city were destroyed by last year's massive earthquake.

The city's People's Hospital, the only comprehensive one still standing is overcrowded.

Everydaysincetheearthquakehasbeenexhausting
forDoctorLiuHui. (CCTV.com)

Every day since the earthquake has been exhausting for Doctor Liu Hui.

As the best ear-nose-throat doctor in Dujiangyan city, she sees 70 patients a day, sometimes more than a hundred. Her office is always packed with patients from all over the area.

She doesn't have time for lunch, or even a drink of water. We came here early in the morning, but she was busy. And when we managed a quick interview at dusk, there were still 10 patients waiting.

Dr. Liu Hui, Dujiangyan People's Hospital, said, "I feel that people care more about their health after the earthquake experience. They feel the vulnerability of human in front of the force of the nature. Now, they come to me with any ailments. In the past, they usually came when the illness got really serious."

No major building of this hospital collapsed in the earthquake. So it's the only one in the city with all medical departments still operating. That makes it patients' first choice.

The People's Hospital has treated 120 thousand patients after the quake. But it wasn't prepared for the sudden pressure. There are only 7 out-patient doctors, and all of them have to see patients from various departments.

Disabled by quake, helped to recovery

Special Report:One Year after 5.12 Quake

Last May's massive earthquake in Sichuan left tens of thousands of people disabled.

Withthecareandassistancefromthe
community,someofthemhaveregained
theiroptimismandconfidenceforlife.

With the care and assistance from the community, some of them have regained their optimism and confidence for life.

Re-establishing cultural relics in Dujiangyan

Special Report:One Year after 5.12 Quake


Special Report:Beyond Survival

As a tourism city, Dujiangyan has many cultural relics, some are even on the world heritage list. However, many were severely damaged during last year's earthquake. Rebuilding work started in less than a month after the disaster.CCTV reporter Pan Deng finds out the latest progress as the one year anniversary of the earthquake approaches.

The300-yearoldPuzhaoTempleisdeepintheQingcheng
Mountain.ItisseenasanauspiciousplaceforBuddhists.

No matter how hard a disaster hits, belief goes on.

The 300-year old Puzhao Temple is deep in the Qingcheng Mountain. It is seen as an auspicious place for Buddhists. But the temple was heavily damaged by the massive earthquake last year. Five of its major buildings collapsed. Luckily, all the nuns were out to receive a statue of Buddha on May 12th and no one was hurt.

This is the symbol of the Puzhao Temple, the Light Tower to Heaven. We are looking at an exact replica of the original, which was smashed into pieces by the earthquake.