On the outskirts of Dujiangyan are a string of villages also devastated by the earthquake. Because of their proximity to Dujiangyan (and Chengdu) they too have benefited from a tremendous relief and reconstruction effort by the government. There are huge banners hung all over the earthquake zone. This one we encountered just as we drove out of the Dujiangyan.

The biggest ongoing problem in these outlying towns has been landslides. Winding roads have been covered over and over in the aftershocks and had to be repeatedly cleared. Even now there are areas partially covered with boulders, or huge cracks in the road where a huge boulder hit.

It is a beautiful area, especially this time of year. But now the green mountains have huge patches of brown where landslides have buried and uprooted trees.

In one town we came across some old men watching the construction of prefab houses. There were both retired, both over seventy. They said they had been sitting outside when the earthquake struck. “The ground shook so violently, we couldn’t stand up,” they told me, emphasizes with hand gestures. We just watched all the buildings collapse. “We were very fortunate here, since everyone was outside no one was hurt.” They wanted to make sure I understand how grateful they were to the government. “Without the government right now we would have nothing, no food or water or shelter. The soldiers arrived within hours on May 12th. We are very lucky to have the soldiers here.”

While people wait for the construction of prefab houses to finished, they too live in tents.

Along the road there is a temple, a tourist destination famous as the birthplace of the Sichuan dish ‘Kung Pao Chicken.’

Schools have been relocated to tents or surviving buildings. Unlike most of the earthquake zone, kids in the Dujiangyan area are back in school.

Thanks to Fire and Peng Xin for their help translating.