Hoping for Revival

Sichuan Province will unveil a post-quake reconstruction plan next month to boost its damaged travel industry, two months after a major earthquake struck the "tourist paradise."

The plan will be based on the findings of a group co-organized by the National Tourism Administration and Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau.

Officials said tourist destinations in the province would be re-opened gradually. At present, all tour groups are banned for safety reasons. The quake has caused at least 70 billion yuan ($10 billion) in losses to the local tourism industry, according to statistics from Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau.

With its spectacular natural scenery Sichuan has five sites on the UN World Heritage List and is best known as home to endangered giant pandas.

Olympic Legal Guide

Foreigners with Olympic tickets are not guaranteed a visa and must apply through Chinese embassies and consulates, according to an Olympic Games guide for foreigners.

The guide, posted on the official website of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), explains relevant Chinese laws in question-and-answer form. It tells foreigners they can drive in China, but only after getting a temporary Chinese driving license; can rent housing, but must register their residence with the local police; and are forbidden from spending nights in public venues, including airports, railway stations, ports, sidewalks and green land.

The guide was drafted by the Legal Affairs Office of Beijing Municipality and other government departments, and its English version will be issued soon, Xinhua quoted a source at BOCOG.

Settling Earthquake Orphans

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and Sichuan Provincial Government have released a document on resettling earthquake orphans, amid the anticipation of tens of thousands of families around China, who wish to adopt them.

The document says the children's choice between staying with relatives, being adopted, living in boarding schools and growing up in social welfare institutions will be respected. Relatives of orphans and parents who lost their children to the earthquake will be given privilege in getting custody. Children who cannot be settled in local families will be moved to neighboring cities in the same province. For orphans whose parents were from minority ethnic groups, their religious beliefs and customs should be taken into consideration, the document says.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs announced that by May 29, 1,879 children had not made contact with their families, although the actual number of orphans could be lower.

No Earthquake Epidemic

The Ministry of Health announced on June 2 that there had been no major epidemics or public health incidents in the quake-hit areas of southwestern Sichuan.

Mao Qun'an, Spokesman for the ministry, said in an online interview with netizens at the Central Government website www.gov.cn, that if there is an outbreak of disease, it will be publicized promptly and transparently.

Mao said that deep burial of earthquake victims in Sichuan had been "scientifically handled" and would not contaminate water sources. Quarantine task forces dug deep pits and sterilized the victims' bodies before burial.

He added that the few cases of hand-foot-mouth disease that occurred recently in the quake-hit areas had been brought under control.