Here's What 2008 Sichuan Quake Sites Look Like 10 Years Later

By That's, May 17, 2018

Saturday, May 12, marked the 10 year anniversary of the Sichuan Earthquake. With over 80,000 killed or missing, it's one of China's deadliest disasters.

Sichuan earthquake
A building in Beichuan County, Sichuan province is flattened following the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Sichuan Earthquake
This 2008 file photo shows an aerial view of the destruction in Yingxiu in Wenchuan county, which was at the epicenter of the 7.9-magnitude quake. Photo via China Daily

Some parts of the ruins in Sichuan have been preserved as a memorial for the dead, with the destroyed areas remaining abandoned. Xuankou Middle School in Yingxiu Town, which was at the epicenter, remains untouched to this day. A clock sculpture has since been placed on the steps leading up to the ruins, with the minute and hour hands indicating the exact moment the quake struck (2.28pm). An official memorial ceremony was held there on May 12.

PHOTOS: What Sichuan Earthquake Areas Look Like 10 Years On
Photo via ECNS

Meanwhile, ruins in Beichuan County still stand — a haunting reminder of the quake's devastation.

PHOTOS: What Sichuan Earthquake Areas Look Like 10 Years On
Photo via ECNS

PHOTOS: What Sichuan Earthquake Areas Look Like 10 Years On
Photo via ECNS

However, other areas have been completely revamped in the past decade, with the government investing about USD137.5 billion in restoration projects throughout the region. Ten years on, many affected towns have been rebuilt from the ground up.

Wenchuan
Image via Xinhua