Qiang ethnic village reconstructed after May 12 earthquake

Residents work at the construction site in Luobozhai Village of Yanmen Township, the quake-hit Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 8, 2008. (Xinhua/Chen Xie)

The national flag of China and the party flag of Communist Party of China (CPC) fly in Luobozhai Village of Yanmen Township, the quake-hit Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 8, 2008. (Xinhua/Chen Xie)

A worker has a break at the construction site in Luobozhai Village of Yanmen Township, the quake-hit Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 8, 2008. (Xinhua/Chen Xie)

Wang Xiaoying, a Qiang ethnic resident, cooks dinner in a temporary kitchen in Luobozhai Village of Yanmen Township, the quake-hit Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 8, 2008. (Xinhua/Chen Xie)

The steel bars of the new houses are seen behind the sacrifices to the dead in the earthquake in Luobozhai Village of Yanmen Township, the quake-hit Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 8, 2008. .(Xinhua Photo)

Luobozhai, less than 10 kilometers from the county seat, is the biggest Qiang ethnic village existing in China.

The village was once the capital of the ancient Qiang King and then called "the city upon the clouds." The houses in the village were built of soil, joining with each other and forming up the whole village as one. However most of the soil-built houses collapsed due to the May 12 earthquake, which killed 48 people here.

The Qiang ethnic villagers used wood and bamboo mattings to build up temporary houses after the quake, and received food and winter necessities from the local government.

The new houses donated by Jiangmen City of Guangdong Province are under construction at present. All the new houses can resist 8.0-magnitude earthquake and will be covered with soil to keep the village's traditional outlook.