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Earlier this year, Zheng Haiyang returned to Beichuan Qiang autonomous county in Sichuan province, one of the areas worst hit during the Wenchuan earthquake 15 years ago, which claimed the lives of 69,227 people.
In addition to running an orchard, the 31-year-old, who lost both legs during the earthquake, has also planted a tree in the ruins of the county seat. "For me, it's a demonstration of the power of life and it helps me focus on the future, not past," he said.
When the magnitude-8 earthquake struck at 2:28 pm on May 12, 2008, Zheng, then a senior high school student at Beichuan Middle School, was in class. The school buildings quickly collapsed, and he was trapped between broken floor slabs as he tried to escape.
After nearly 22 hours under the rubble, Zheng was rescued but had to have both legs amputated. "Many of my classmates didn't make it, so I am the lucky one," he said. The earthquake killed 15,645 and left 4,311 missing in Beichuan alone.
Zheng said that he has been through a lot during the past 15 years. "I have been looked down upon, discriminated against and even deceived, but those things are all trivial because I've already experienced the darkest hours of my life."
Zheng lays flowers at a monument in memory of people who lost their lives in the Wenchuan earthquake. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]
Zheng Haiyang returns to the former Beichuan county seat, Sichuan province, on April 14. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]
The public visit the ruins of old Yingxiu town, which was at the epicenter of the Wenchuan earthquake. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]
Firefighters conduct daily training in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture on April 15. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]
Zhang Zili an earthquake survivor, now a firefighter with the Forest Fire Fighting Detachment of Sichuan's Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, adjusts his helmet to get ready for a mission on April 14. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]
"Many children who experienced the earthquake grew up determined to join the PLA or become firefighters. My son is one of them," she said proudly.
Zhang Zili, from the neighboring county of Maoxian, is another.
He was attending a sports class at the primary school in his village when the quake struck. He was six at the time. "My village is only 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the Wenchuan earthquake, so it caused a lot of damage," the 21-year-old said.
Zhang's home was unsafe to live in, so his family stayed in a temporary shelter. "There was no electricity because of the quake, so we had to sit in the dark at night. I was scared. The PLA soldiers who came to help us comforted me by teaching me songs and playing with me," he said.
He also recalled how emergency supplies were airdropped from helicopters, and how soldiers and firefighters built tents and gave food to survivors.
"These memories made me want to become a PLA soldier or a firefighter, so that I could also save lives and help people," said Zhang who is now a firefighter with the Wenchuan Brigade of the Forest Fire Fighting Detachment of Sichuan's Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture.
