Year after quake, survivors restart in new homes

Source: Xinhua | 05-11-2009 15:03

CHENGDU, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Bathing in the first sun rays of the day, Wang Quan was having his breakfast in his new two-storey home in Chaping Village of Dujiangyan City in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday.

Wang's old home, built with years of savings, was devastated in the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Wenchuan County, Sichuan, on May 12 last year. He was among millions rendered homeless in the disaster.

He said he never thought he would be able to move into a new house so soon. "My wife and I had prepared for the worst, to stay in prefabricated houses for three to five years, before we can build our own new home," said the farmer in his thirties, who is father of two.

In his village, more than 100 families, among the total 146, have also moved into new houses. The rest dozens of families are waiting for the completion of collectively built houses.

China has pledged to offer new houses as utmost tasks for quake survivors, with promises of government subsidies, tax reduction for building new homes, and easy access to bank loans.