Wenchuan County (Site of 2008 Earthquake)

At 2:28 on May 12th, 2008 the epicenter of an earthquake measuring 7.9 took place at Wenchuan County, only 100 kilometers from the provincial capital of Chengdu.  Wenchuan County, part of the greater Aba Qiang Tibetan Autonomous Region, suffered catastrophic damage.  A combination of steep, denuded mountainsides, antiquated buildings, and a lack of entry roads for relief efforts caused the natural disaster to claim an astounding number of lives.  Over 70,000 died as a result of the quake, hundreds of thousands were injured, and an estimated 5 million people are displaced.  The reconstruction process is sure to go on for years.

 

Visit Wenchuan on an Overland China journey:

Secrets of Sichuan
Bountiful Sichuan: Pristine Environments