◆Text by Tan Xingyu
May 13: Ferrying the injured and victims to and from hard-hit areas across Sichuan Province, emergency air crews of the Chengdu Military Command contended with harsh weather. by Liu Yinghua
May 13, Dujiangyan City: The arm of a child among the debris, one of so many children lost. Reuters
May 13, Dujiangyan City: Overcome with emotion, a mother reaches for her child. IC
May 14: As if a fist from the heavens slammed to earth, the old district of Beichuan County was virtually pulverized. by Sun Haibo
At 14:28, May 12, 2008, a disaster of nearly unimaginable proportions struck southwestern China's Sichuan Province. Centering on Wenchuan County, an earthquake measuring a nightmarish 8.0 on the Richter Scale shook the Earth, a storied and precious region was forever changed, and a nation came to the rescue.
In an instant, tens of thousands of lives were ended beneath crumbling concrete and steel. At the time of this report, more than 40,000 people were confirmed dead and more than 240,000 were injured.
The scope of death and destruction reminds us of the sometimes unpredictable cruelty of nature and fate. At the time of this writing, the death toll was still climbing. They could have been our family members, our relatives, or our friends. For those who loved them and those they loved, their passing, no doubt, must seem like the end of the world. Their flower of life, in full blossom a few days before, was cut harshly short in the disaster. For their friends and loved ones, nothing could be more tragic.
The scale of the destruction is difficult to grasp. Deaths occurred in Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, and Yunnan Provinces, as well as Chongqing Municipality. And strong tremors were felt as far away as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok. It is estimated that the energy released by the quake exceeded that of 400 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs.
Extensive mountainous areas collapsed; still uncounted roads caved in; landslides pulverized homes; and more remote afflicted regions became isolated and forlorn islands of humanity. The horrendous tremors resulted in a huge number of casualties in the densely-populated areas of Sichuan and Chongqing. At a middle school in Dujiangyan City, after the sudden, violent shaking of a six-story facility, the structure gave way and the teachers and students of 18 classes were buried in rubble. Among the broken walls of a local primary school, scattered textbooks were stained with blood, and grief-stricken parents cried out the names of their children, desperately searching amidst the ruins, searching for any possible sign of life.
The sudden catastrophe shocked the nation, and the Chinese government quickly responded. Immediately after the quake hit, to limit the ongoing loss of life, President Hu Jintao ordered the fast rescue of the injured in disaster-stricken areas. Premier Wen Jiabao, who had just returned to Beijing after an inspection visit, immediately headed back to the airport, arriving at the disaster scene on the night of May 12 to personally direct the relief work. The Chinese military dispatched advance troops to the heavily-stricken areas in Sichuan. They were soon joined in the overall effort by more than 100,000 soldiers arriving from across the nation via rail, road and air. From the start, government agencies, including the China Earthquake Administration, National Commission for Disaster Reduction, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs undertook emergency relief efforts.
May 13: The hard-hit Hanwang Town of Mianzhu City, 30 kilometers from Wenchuan, the epicenter. IC
May 15, Hanwang Town: A rescue worker carries an empty body bag past a collapsed primary school, scattered with now ownerless school bags, a sad reminder of terrible tragedy. by Mark Ralston/AFP

News of the deaths and suffering touched the hearts of the nation’s people. Within just a few hours, the Red Cross Society of China, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, and other non-governmental organizations launched donation drives, calling for a nationwide aid program for the disaster-stricken areas. In Chengdu, near the epicenter of the quake, while bracing against frequent aftershocks, citizens joined together to donate blood at local hospitals. Chinese across the mainland, on both banks of the Taiwan Straits, and in Hong Kong and Macao donated money and materials, contributing to the security, health, and comfort of the stricken. Posts of prayers flooded the Internet; SMS passed on heartfelt messages; and television, radio and the Web broadcast updated news on unfolding events around the clock. Close attention was paid to virtually all news coming from the stricken region, and there was much concern for the safety of the local people. Occasionally, an inspiring slogan circulated among the public: “Today, we are all Wenchuan people!”
The tragedy also evoked great concern from the international community. After the Wenchuan earthquake occurred, the international community offered streams of support, and nearly every moment brought more formal letters of sympathy, offers to help, and shipments of relief supplies. By 14:00, May 15, a total of 151 countries and 14 regions and international organizations had extended regards in varying forms. Japan, Russia, and South Korea dispatched specialized relief personnel to the frontline of the disaster area.
This natural disaster is a severe test for the nation. The composure, bravery, fortitude and actions exhibited by the people and the government have won high praise from the international community. An article by a columnist published on the Website of the UK-based Financial Times praised China’s efficient and competent response to the disaster: “Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao flew to the site within four hours to organize relief work. Well-trained rescue teams and strong military troops were thrown to the frontline of relief. Materials and money flooded to Wenchuan, as the epicenter of the quake. Mainstream media spared no effort in covering the event and updating the news day and night. Meanwhile, a wide range of relief hotlines and donation channels quickly opened to the public.”
At the time this publication went to press, relief work was still ongoing.
To allow our readers to better grasp the scope of the damage, the scale of the misery, and the enormity of the relief effort, here we offer a through-the-lens view. The life and death stories unfolding within quake-stricken zones reveal humans at their best – helping others, with no regard for their own comfort or safety.
Here is devastation, grief and suffering. But here also is the strength of a people, the spirit of a nation, and a human hope for the future.
May 13, Beichuan County, Mianyang City: These survivors, after on-site medical treatment, will soon be transferred to a hospital facility for more complete care. Reuters May 13: Transit by car or truck is made impossible by collapsed roads outside Beichuan. In the county, the quake tore apart 80 percent of the structures in the old district, and more than 60 percent of those in the new district. Landslides otherwise ravaged the area. by Yang Lei/Xinhua May 15, Wenchuan County: At the ruins of her home, a survivor grieves for and pays homage to lost loved ones. Reuters May 14: The collapse of this bridge between Dujiangyan and Wenchuan, what would otherwise have been a lifeline for relief efforts, blocks the ready transit of badly needed medical supplies and daily necessities to hard-hit areas. by Chen Kai/Xinhua
Geography
Wenchuan County is located in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. The Wenshui River runs through the county, hence the name. Among China’s four counties where the people of the Qiang ethnic group live in compact communities, Wenchuan lies between 30°45’ and 31°43’ north latitude and between 102° 51’ and 103°44’ east longitude. Stretching 84 kilometers from east to west and 105 kilometers from north to south, the county covers a total area of 4,085 square kilometers and is home to a population of about 110,000. Major ethnic groups inhabiting the area include Han, Qiang, Tibetan, and Hui. With Pengzhou City and Dujiangyan City in the east, the county adjoins Chongzhou City and Dayi County in the south. With Baoxing County and Xiaojin County in the west, Lixian County and Maoxian County are connected to Wenchuan in the northwest and northeast, respectively. Wolong Nature Reserve, a research and breeding center for giant pandas, is located within the county.