 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
China to open quake areas to tourists: report
Beijing (AFP) May 23, 2009 Chinese authorities said Saturday they would open areas devastated by last year's Sichuan earthquake to tourists as the region struggles to recover from the natural disaster, state media reported. Nearly 87,000 people were killed or left missing in the May 12 magnitude 8.0 earthquake that left millions homeless and unemployed in China's mountainous southwest region. "There is a huge tourism market in the ruins one year after the quake," Xinhua news agency quoted Wu Mian, deputy director of Sichuan's tourism bureau, as saying. "We cannot block the tourists out. We also hope the tourists watch their behaviour and not hurt the feelings of quake survivors." Officials hope that increased tourism will help spur rebuilding efforts in the area, it said. The first sites to open will include schools, bridges, factories and streets in the cities of Dujiangyan, Pengzhou, Mianzhu and Guangyuan as well as Yingxiu Township at the epicentre of the quake, Wu said. He did not say when the sites would be officially opened, but authorities allowed people into some of the many sites during the period around the first anniversary of the quake. Other sites, such as the Donghekou Earthquake Relics Park, have been open to the public for months. The park sits atop a landslide that buried Donghekou village killing all but 300 of the village's 1,400 inhabitants. The park has received 260,000 tourists since it opened in November last year, the report said. Beichuan county seat, one the worst hit areas, was not on the list of areas to be opened up, Xinhua said. Nearly 20,000 people were killed in the county town which will not be rebuilt due to the widespread devastation, but instead will be reopened as an earthquake museum. During the May 12 first anniversary, several hundred thousand people were allowed into the county seat to visit the site and mourn those who lost their lives there. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters A world of storm and tempest When the Earth Quakes
China factory blaze kills 13: fire deptBeijing (AFP) May 21, 2009 Thirteen people were killed and four were badly injured Thursday when a fire engulfed a factory in south China, authorities said, in the latest deadly workplace accident to hit the nation. A further 28 people were saved from the blaze in Shantou city in Guangdong province, the provincial fire department said in a statement on its website. According to the official Xinhua news agency, the ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook