China commemorates victims of Wenchuan earthquake

People gather at the ruined site of Xuankou Middle School as they participate in a memorial ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Wenchuan Earthquake in Yingxiu Township of Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 12, 2018.(Xinhua/Liu Kun)

A memorial activity commemorating Wenchuan earthquake victims and the rescue operation was held in Yingxiu county in southwest China's Sichuan Province Saturday afternoon.[Special coverage]

Hundreds of people gathered at the earthquake site at Xuankou high school of Yingxiu county, the epicenter of the earthquake, and mourned for the victims of the earthquake and those who died saving lives.

On May 12, 2008, a magnitude 8 quake hit Wenchuan of Sichuan Province, killing nearly 70,000 people and leaving nearly 18,000 missing.

Shen Wenjuan is a villager of Yuzixi village in Yingxiu county. Her house was completely ruined in the earthquake.

"I will never forget about the earthquake," Shen said, "But I'm also grateful that the government helped us build new houses in two years so we could move on with our lives."

Wenchuan was rebuilt soon after the earthquake. And with the beautiful views in the area, it has even become a travel destination.

As the county got rebuilt, people here have been recovering from the earthquake.

Li Jing, whose house was destroyed by the earthquake, now works at tea store in Dujiangyan city.

For years, Li traveled in the mountains and valleys to grow tea trees and pick tea-leaves. She fell on the slippery mountain roads many times, but she never gave up. "I've lived through the Wenchuan earthquake. This is nothing compared with that," Li said.

She has been promoted from a tea-leaves picking worker to the manager of the store.

"People are gradually letting go the sadness, and focus more on the future ," said Liu Ping, a villager who works as a volunteer at the memorial activity.