The 6.9 magnitude earthquake that stuck Yushu in Northwest China's Qinghai province on April 14th has been devastatingly. It has so far killed almost 2000 and over 12,000 injured or missing. This region of China is in a not only remote and very rugged terrain, but also poor. However, this tragedy can give this area an opportunity to rebuild itself or even reinvent itself.
(Photo courtsey of Getty)
An eco-tourism plateau city is expected to be built in the future, even as relief work is still ongoing, Beijing News reports today. An overall plan for the reconstruction is expected to be handed in by the province to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development for approval on April 26. A disaster assessment report for the April 14 earthquake will be done by April 20 to guide the region’s post-disaster reconstruction work, the newspaper said, citing the Qinghai seismological bureau.
Largely inhabited by Tibetans, Yushu is situated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with most of the region 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) above the sea level. It is the fountainhead of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River. Ravines and valleys have been cut by the rivers in southeastern Yushu.
Another famous Chinese city has successfully rebuild itself after an earthquake. Situated in the northwest plateau in Yunnan (Heavenly Yunnan), the city of Lijiang ("the Beautiful River") got its name from its position at the middle reaches of the beautiful Jinsha River. In 1996 February 3, a 7.0 Richter scaled earthquake hit Lijiang. It took 200 lives and injured 14,000 more. Surprisingly, the city's oldest treasure, the Old Town mostly remain intact. The provincial government decided not to restore the damaged high rise buildings; instead, they were reconstructed as traditional single family dwellings after the quake. The city was given a urban make over to develop into a major tourist destination. Many say the earthquake gave Lijiang a fresh start and the reconstruction played a major role in the city achieving the designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Largely inhabited by Tibetans, Yushu is situated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with most of the region 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) above the sea level. It is the fountainhead of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River. Ravines and valleys have been cut by the rivers in southeastern Yushu.
Another famous Chinese city has successfully rebuild itself after an earthquake. Situated in the northwest plateau in Yunnan (Heavenly Yunnan), the city of Lijiang ("the Beautiful River") got its name from its position at the middle reaches of the beautiful Jinsha River. In 1996 February 3, a 7.0 Richter scaled earthquake hit Lijiang. It took 200 lives and injured 14,000 more. Surprisingly, the city's oldest treasure, the Old Town mostly remain intact. The provincial government decided not to restore the damaged high rise buildings; instead, they were reconstructed as traditional single family dwellings after the quake. The city was given a urban make over to develop into a major tourist destination. Many say the earthquake gave Lijiang a fresh start and the reconstruction played a major role in the city achieving the designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
(Photo courtsey of www.studyincn.com)
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