Expo marks Sichuan, grieves Qinghai

• Source: Global Times
• [08:52 May 13 2010]
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By Duan Wuning

With ethnic Qiang folklore embroidery stitched onto their traditional dress, seven young women from Sichuan Province expressed gratitude Wednesday to visitors at the China Pavilion for the support given to their hometown since it was struck by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake two years ago.

Cultural demonstrations commemorating the second anniversary of the May 12 trag-edy at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai were further meant to recognize the endless efforts of those who continue to help rebuild the southwestern region, said Yi Yang, deputy director of the Sichuan section inside the China Pavilion.

"Our reconstruction work is going smoothly," he said. "Our homes are new and better than those that we had before the earthquake; that truly highlights the theme of the Expo - 'Better City Better Life'."

The Qiang minority group from badly-hit Mao county, close to the epicenter of the earthquake that claimed nearly 90,000 lives, both dead and missing, said they were honored to have the chance to present at the six-month cultural gala on such a momentous day.

"We are grateful to have recovered from the earthquake stronger than ever," Yu Huit-ing, one of the Qiang women, told the Global Times Wednesday, adding that she empathized with Yushu earthquake survivors, who continue to cope in the aftermath of the 7.1-magnitude tremor that devastated their homelands last month.

"We hope that people in Yushu will also find a way to be strong and their homes will be rebuilt soon," she said.

Two years after the Sichuan disaster, affected communities have made considerable recoveries; nearly 29,000 construction projects have been undertaken accounting for investments valued at some 678 billion yuan ($99 billion).

Shanghai has committed 8.25 billion yuan ($1.21 billion) to these efforts, of which about 75 percent have to date been allocated to impacted areas.

Corporate pavilions also took part in the occasion. Chinese air conditioning company Broad invited visitors to try their earthquake simulator to let the public get a feel for what victims experienced that day.

Sichuan native Zheng Songqin, 72, solemnly watched the screens Wednesday showing a series of rescue operations from the dark hour.

"We will forever be indebted to people from across China and around the world who came to our side, helping and consoling us during our terrible nightmare," she said.