Jane Macartney in Beichuan
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The town hit hardest by China’s earthquake, will never live again; at least not in the valley where its ruins cover the hillside.
A week after China’s most devastating earthquake of modern times, Beichuan is only for the dead. Entombed within its ruins, thousands are still missing. Their bodies may never be recovered.
On the street at the foot of the hillside that tumbled down to bury the Beichuan Middle School and most of its 1,000 students, a few victims who have been unearthed lie stiff in green and blue zipped bags.
A mass of tangled beams, chunks of concrete and broken walls is almost all that remains of the main county town. The few remaining streets, scattered with beer bottles, children’s shoes and scraps of paper, are silent and empty. Only rescue workers, troops and a few lonely survivors who refuse to leave the concrete graves of missing relatives pick through the ruins.
Wang Mingxing, 55, lost his eldest son who was teaching at the primary school.
He had returned to the folded ruins of his home to try to retrieve family possessions from the crumpled concrete slabs. A broken bookcase lay crushed. Little else could be seen. “There is no way to live in this place. The mountains around are just too dangerous,” he said.
Beichuan’s location meant that it was doomed. It was buried by landslides that tumbled down both sides of the narrow, steep-sided valley. When the soft ground slid as the earth moved, most buildings collapsed or fell over. No building is undamaged in what was a town of 30,000. Song Ming, the chief of the Beichuan Qiang autonomous county, said: “This time it is certain that the town will move.”
It will not be the first time that Beichuan’s geographical position along the Longmen Mountain fault line has forced it to be relocated. The town was moved away from the heart of the mountains to its current site in 1951 because of worries that it was vulnerable to earthquakes.
After the devastating Tangshan earthquake killed a quarter of a million people in the town near Beijing in 1976, experts visited Beichuan and assessed that it lay on a fault line dividing the Himalayas from the Longmen Mountains and was surrounded by unstable shale hills.
Mr Song explained to Chinese state media: “Every time there was a small tremor or a thunderstorm, a landslide was possible.”
Now the question is where to move Beichuan. The county line runs along the foot of the hills, meaning that a corner of flat land in neighbouring Anxian county may have to be carved away to find space.
“This is feasible, but it is up to the provincial government to make a decision,” Mr Song said. Studies have already begun on finding an appropriate spot.
But Beichuan will be reborn. Mr Song said it was unthinkable that the only Qiang ethnic minority county in China should disappear. The unique administrative region only won its county status in 2003. The Qiang minority numbers only about 200,000 people spread across five counties in Sichuan province. The matrilineal people hunt animals and collect mushrooms and herbs and also herd yak and horses in mountaintop pastures.
Now no one will live at the foot in the deep, verdant valley surrounded by small coal and gold mines and tea plantations and where pandas roam the hills. The Old Town, where debris stands seven storeys high and rubble is piled like matchsticks, may not be cleared. Mr Song said that it would be impossible ever to find many of those buried underneath.
A memorial would be raised on the spot, engraved with the names of all the victims in the town. It will become a place for survivors to mourn loved ones who will never be found. It would serve as a reminder for posterity, Mr Song said.
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My Chinese brothers and sisters,
Liz was insensitive asking about Tibetanswhen ethnicity should not be the focus. Saving lives was and that was just what the Chinese people and soldiers did. Great job.
Anyway, lets forget what Liz said and move forward. China still has alot to do. Go China.
Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Rob, Swansea, UK
Does it really matter whether Tibetans had been victims of the quake? The Rescuers did not ask the trapped what ethnicity they were b4 trying to save them. Only people with racist tendencies would query such matter in this hour of need. Are u happy if the victims were not Tibetans?
Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
to Liz, warrington, uk:
Tibetan is just on of the 55 minorities in china,there are 56 races in china,and the biggest race is Han.the Chinese Army is not only Han,it includes 56 races,we are a family,actually ,i am not a Han,i am a Tujia girl,one of the minorities.i have many Tibetan friends
lily, xining, china
although the disastrous earthquake shatters the buildings in Sichuan province,it never shatters the united strength among the chinese people
samuel lv, Suzhou, China
If you judge people, you have no time to love and save them.
All life value is life that has no colour,race ,sex or Tibetans.The earthquake not only bring us pain but also brings our hearts cohesive together to sublimate the bright of humanity virtue.
s leung, melrose, scotland
A man was discovered in the wreckage after 6 days. He insisted on speaking to his wife on the phone and he told her all he wanted was to spend the rest of his live with her. Before they could move him out, he died. Suffering is universal and ethic divide is meaningless.
Charles, Hong Kong,
It's a shame that few British people knows about Tibeten problems. What they have got is only distorted information by dishonest western media.
Tian Qingyou, Tianjin,
why are you sensitive about Tibetan?please look at Chinese history,China is a big family,there are different minority people,but they are lovers though sometime there are conflict between them.
enya, changsha, china
why are you sensitive about Tibetan?please look at Chinese history,China is a big family,there are different minority people,but they are lovers though sometime there are conflict between them.when i was a little girl ,i always fought with my elder sister ,i still love her whenever and she does.
wendy, beijing, china
Charlie,actually u are not quite correct.The 200km valley between Wenchuan and Songpan has several minority peoples, mostly muslim & Qiang rather than tibettan. Historically they hid here from imperial persecution hundreds of years ago.Tibettans are more to the west (maerkang) and north (chuanzhusi)
Rob, Swansea, UK
Maybe Liz had asked a good question? Yes,the earthquake area is populated by tibetan. Will those who shouted that Chinese kills tibetan say something now when they see Chinese all over China is doing everything to save those Tibetan?
victor, Hongkong, China
what a pointless focus? human beings are human beings, a life saved is a life saved, be them Tibetans or Chinese. I'm amazed by why some people are so insistent on bringing up the topic of Tibet
up !
Our people are all equal, all of the people suffer the quake are being rescued by our soldiers!
jovian, Beijing,
And I and my friends show our respect to the soldiers and Mr Wen Jiabao!
jovian, Beijing,
Liz
You asked the wrong question.
May I ask if UK people would like to help Scotland people ? Or if Scotland people wish to help UK people ?
luo, zs,
Farewell Beichuan.
Eternal Peace to All Deceased.
peter yang, beijing, china
This is a Tibetan area. A big portion of the population here are Tibetans.
Guo Li, London, UK
There's no line what minority you belong to... Every life is valuable.... The whole nation is deeply in grief now... I have never seen such a scence that all the people stood in silence together with the sirens.. I cried....everybody else did. China is in deep grief at this moment...
Weiwei, Shenzhen, China
A pregnant lady was saved after she was trapped for more than 180 hours and gave birth to a healthy baby girl after she was rescued.... This is a GREAT MIRACLE!
Weiwei, Shenzhen, China
Miao, I think Liz was mearly asking the question "were those people rescued?". In light of the current issue with Tibet I think the implication was that there are more important things than just politics differences.
DR, London,
"It is said many Tibetans have been saved by Chinese Army from a removed village two days ago."
what a pointless focus? human beings are human beings, a life saved is a life saved, be them Tibetans or Chinese. I'm amazed by why some people are so insistent on bringing up the topic of Tibet
HB, London, UK
Liz, that is true.
The affected area (Wenchuan) is located in the Aba Tibetan Minority Autonomous in Sichuan Province. Tibetan occupies a large portion of the local population in the Autonomous. Wenchuan (the epicenter) is a Qiang Minority Autonomous where most residence is Qiang nation.
Charlie, Oxford, UK
Many thanks, Jane and Sophie. Take care in Beichuan.
M Liu, Melbourne, Australia
"It is said many Tibetans have been saved by Chinese Army from a removed village two days ago. Can anyone confirm this news?
Liz, warrington, uk"
There are milions of minority live in sichuan,include tibetans,Tai,muslim,Zhuang,and other minority.
Kong, Hong kong, China
everything will be fine
godspeed the reconstruction!
ether, beijing, china
What a sad news that at this moment, someone just care about the tibetans, thinking of others! There is not only Tibetan lives in China! Shame on you
Miao, China,
I'm sorry to see them leaving Beichuang.The town have become the dead and suvivor are looking for their new spot.what a tragedy that is!The quake is the biggest one in history since People Republic Of China was established.
cristiano, Wuhan, China
Nice report
andrew, Shanghai, China
It is said many Tibetans have been saved by Chinese Army from a removed village two days ago. Can anyone confirm this news?
Liz, warrington, uk