CELEBRATING GENEROSITY: Ethnic Qiang villagers dance at a ceremony for the handover of 14 projects that were built by Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, for earthquake-devastated Longxi Town, Wenchuan County, on January 23, 2010 (ZHAO XI)

On November 15, 2008, Guangdong submitted its plan to Wenchuan's county headquarters and townships. Four days later, Sichuan Provincial Government's housing and urban-rural development department appraisal committee approved it.

Yingxiu Town, at the earthquake's epicenter, was the toughest reconstruction work for relief workers, as the whole town had collapsed into rubble. Guangdong organized a design competition to find the most suitable reconstruction plan for Yingxiu, which was adopted by the appraisal committee on December 30, 2008.

Scientific planning

Minimizing residents' potential losses in future earthquakes has become a priority in formulating the reconstruction plan since Wenchuan is in an active seismic zone.

The Guangdong team completed a seismic hazard map of Wenchuan's planned construction areas, relocated industrial and public service facilities according to what they found and concentrated populations in relatively safer areas.