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Tags: China Travel / Earthquakes / Tourism Board Travel / → All Tags

Sichuan Province Opens Earthquake Park, Welcomes Tourists

Six months after the earthquake, China's Sichuan province is more-or-less ready for visitors.

They've even got earthquake tourism started with an earthquake relic park now open in Qingchuan County, the hardest hit region. Instead of six villages they've now got 36 lakes in this area; tourists can visit for free although they're considered charging in the future.

As far as tourism is concerned, Sichuan officials were pretty pleased that no World Heritage Sites were seriously damaged--they also breathed a big sigh of relief that none of the 55,000 foreign tourists there at the time were killed. (We might point out that 88,000 Chinese people were, but apparently that's not on the agenda of tourism officials.) And as odd as it might be, they're probably expecting a boost in tourist numbers now that we all know where kung pao chicken actually comes from.

Related Stories:
· Quake Relic Park Opens in Sichuan [Shanghai Daily]
· Where Is the Epicenter of the China Earthquake? [Jaunted]
· China Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Shanghai Daily]

Tags: China Travel / Earthquakes / Dams / Google Maps / → All Tags

Where Is the Zipingpu Dam?

China continues to deal with the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, while aid continues to trickle into also-suffering Myanmar. In China, officials are worried that the Zipingpu Dam may have been damaged by the 7.9-magnitude quake. We're not engineers, but it seems likely: One look at our map shows how close it was to the epicenter of the May 12 temblor.

The endangered dam sits just upstream from Dujiangyan, a city of several thousand people that is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System was built in 256 BC and is still in use today.

Hundreds of other dams in Sichuan may have been damaged, but officials say the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei Province is safe. The monumental construction project/environmental disaster-in-waiting sits about 350 miles east the earthquake epicenter.

Related Stories:
· Dam Cracks Add to China Quake Fears [TPA, via Google]
· China Says Troops Rush to Plug Dam [AP, via Google]
· Dujiangyan Irrigation System [Wikipedia]
· China Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Google Maps / Earthquakes / Asia Travel / → All Tags

Where Is the Epicenter of the China Earthquake

Asia is having a tragically terrible month. Days after a cyclone ripped Myanmar to shreds, a powerful earthquake rattled China, killing thousands in the western province of Sichuan. Home to the famous Wolong Nature Reserve, the region is also known for its eponymous cooking style, epitomized in kung pao chicken.

Offices in Beijing--more than 950 miles from the epicenter--swayed for more than two minutes, and the quake was felt as far away as Bangkok, Hanoi and Taipei. Rescue efforts are ongoing.

Related Stories:
· USGS Information on the Quake [Official Site]
· Death Toll in China Earthquake up to 9,000 [AP, via Google]
· China Quake Brings out Citizen Journalists [Telegraph]
· Among the Pandas in Wolong [The Atlantic]
· Asia Travel coverage [Jaunted]