REMEMBERING: The national flag is raised at a mourning ceremony earthquake at the Longxing Central School in Longmen Township of Lushan County in Ya'an City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, to mark the first anniversary of the Lushan on April 20 (XUE YUBIN)

A memorial service was held on April 20 to commemorate the 196 victims of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Lushan County in the southwestern province of Sichuan a year ago.

Survivors gathered at Longxing Central School in Longmen, the town worst hit, and paid their respects to the decreased in silence as the clock read 8:02 a.m., the time the earthquake occurred.

Honor guards carried flower baskets decorated with white chrysanthemums and laid them down in front of a memorial wall, where photos were hung of the decreased and of rescue efforts in the wake of the earthquake.

Over the past year, the provincial government of Sichuan launched a series of econstruction projects in July. A total of 4,482 needy families have been covered by a preferential housing plan.

The construction work has begun on 84 percent of the planned residential projects, on more than 95 percent of schools and medical service buildings, according to statistics from Sichuan government.

Meanwhile, the local government conducted a survey on spots prone to geological disasters after the quake. All 396 projects to better prepare areas potentially at risk have already begun.

THEME OF MISSING: People from all walks of life attend the ceremony at the Longxing central school on April 20 (XUE YUBIN)

YOUNG MEMORY: Students present flowers at the mourning ceremony to commemorate victims of the earthquake (XUE YUBIN)

FRAMEWORK: Homes for resettlement at Longquan Village are under construction (JIANG HONGJING)

HOPE: A woman hangs laundry in front of a makeshift shelter near the newly-built cottages at Longquan Village (JIANG HONGJING)

FINISHING TOUCHES: Builders at the construction site for the cottages at Longquan Village on April 19 (JIANG HONGJING)

UNDERSTANDING: Students visit the "earthquake room" at the science and technology museum of Lushan County which opened on April 19. Funds for the museum were donated by China Science and Technology Museum and Sichuan Science and Technology Museum. There are several exhibition halls with themes like "earthquake prevention and disaster mitigation" and "experience science" (XUE YUBIN)

(Souce: Xinhua News Agency)