Quake-hit county rings in New Year

JISHISHAN, Gansu — As the first rays of sunshine of 2024 fell upon the recently quake-hit county of Jishishan, the resettlement sites for people affected by the Dec 18 earthquake were already bustling.

Holding onto a rope with her teammates, 17-year-old Shi Ziwei, in the Bonan-Dongxiang-Salar autonomous county of Jishishan, was determined to win a game of tug of war on Monday morning. "It will be OK. We will be better in the new year," she wrote on WeChat.

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Jishishan just before midnight on Dec 18, leaving more than 150 people dead in Gansu and neighboring Qinghai province.

Shi's parents, who work in Xinjiang, had arrived home less than half an hour before the quake struck. The family managed to run into the yard, where they saw houses collapse due to the strong tremor.

"Staying up to greet my parents, my grandparents didn't go to sleep as early as usual. So luckily no one was injured," Shi said, while adding that she still felt fortunate to be able to talk about the disaster. Over the past several days, Shi and her younger brother have worked as volunteers to help village cadres collect information about the damage suffered by their fellow villagers.

To boost the morale of people affected by the quake, local cadres organized activities such as a tug of war, a basketball match, and song and dance performances to celebrate the new year.

"Villagers are enthusiastic," said Ma Xiaoyong, a cadre of Shenjiaping village where Shi lives. "We planned to have one team representing each community, but there were too many villagers signing up for the events, so we added more teams."

Prefabricated houses have been built to provide temporary resettlement for villagers, and Shi's family moved into one on Thursday. Her mother selected a piece of cloth with a beautiful floral pattern to make curtains, and installed a small mirror on the wall for dressing.

"My biggest wish is that we can soon rebuild our hometown and move into new houses," said Shi Ziwei's father Shi Fuchang. According to local authorities, the new houses are likely to be ready before next winter.

In Dahe village, 20-year-old Ma Wenying was preparing hotpot as the first meal of the new year. Two days ago, his grandmother asked him to bring the refrigerator from their quake-damaged house to their resettlement site, now decorated with red lanterns, so that they could buy food and start cooking again.

Ma's role is to take care of both his grandparents, and the 0.2 hectares of walnut trees on the hill. "The walnuts next year will be sold for a good price," he said, smiling. "After we have enough money, we will rebuild the house. Then my brother and I will both be getting married."

In the county seat of Jishishan, 70-year-old Zhao Huaisheng showed Xinhua the bathroom and barrier-free facilities in his apartment at a nursing home. He was also provided with free clothes. Zhao used to live alone in Gaoli village, where his house was toppled by the quake. With nowhere to go, he and some other seniors were resettled in the nursing home.

Bathed in the first rays of 2024, Zhao combed his hair carefully, while dumplings were being prepared for breakfast. "This is another year now," he said. "My wish is that everyone is safe and healthy."

Xinhua