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BEICHUAN, Sichuan : It's been 10 months since the devastating May 12 earthquake struck Sichuan Province, killing more than 69,000 people and injuring 374,000.
Chinese officials have said that four towns in the area will be turned into memorial sites.
Beichuan Town was built in 1951 and sits in a valley of mountains. It is also located on the Longman Fault, which triggered the May 12 earthquake last year.
In the aftermath of the quake, landslides engulfed parts of the town. About 75 per cent of the population or about 12,000 people perished when the earthquake struck.
Beichuan Town will, by May this year, be turned into a memorial site, with guided tours to view the ruins.
Admission will be free, but visitors will have to register and be guided during the tour of the ruined area to ensure their safety.
Plans are still being worked out on how far visitors will be able to walk into the town, as there are still hundreds of bodies trapped in the rubble.
"We are planning to build facilities such as litter bins within the relic area. We will have to purchase garbage trucks and set up guide signs. These will not only protect the quake relics but provide a clearer picture for tourists," said Deng Hong, Party Secretary of Tourism Bureau, Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County.
Even as facilities are being built, the tourism bureau recorded about 200,000 visitors to the site during the Lunar New Year holiday in January this year.
"It is a tradition in Beichuan to visit their dead relatives after 100 days, on holidays and on anniversaries. So we are expecting a lot of locals to visit Beichuan around May 12. There will also be tourists visiting, so the number of people coming will exceed the Spring Festival holiday," said Deng.
For others who lost their loved ones, some are choosing to stay close by.
37-year-old Yuan Dai Yu used to live in Beichuan, her husband lost his legs when a concrete slab pinned him down while he was trying to escape the earthquake. Her 15-year-old daughter was among the more than 1,300 students who died in Beichuan Middle School.
"I'm still very upset, facing this everyday. Tourists come here and although I greet them with a smile, I'm still very upset," said Yuan, Beichuan County quake survivor.
Life is hard for Yuan who makes at most about US$15 a day. But she is staying put, close to her daughter and to look over her.
Beichuan Tourism Bureau hopes the memorial site will be another avenue to promote tourism to the region in the aftermath of the earthquake.
The other memorial sites are Hanwang County in Deyang, Yingxiu Town in Wenchuan County and Hongkou in Dujiangyan. - CNA /ls
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