China opens first memorial park on May 12 quake ruins

Source: Xinhua | 11-13-2008 08:36

QINGCHUAN, Sichuan Province, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The first memorial park to the 87,000 dead and missing from China's May 12 earthquake opened on Wednesday in the southwestern Sichuan Province.

People attend the opening ceremony of  Donghekou Earthquake Relics Park in  Qingchuan county of southwest China's  Sichuan Province, Nov. 12, 2008.  Donghekou Earthquake Relics Park, the  first memorial park of Wenchuan Earthquake,  opend to the public on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Zhong Min)

The Y-shaped park, spanning almost 50 square kilometers in the countryside of Qingchuan County, is centered on a huge rock erected on the ruins of Donghekou Village and inscribed with "2008--5.12--14:28", the exact date and time of the 8-magnitude quake.

Many landforms resulting from the earthquake can be found in the park, such as landslides, cracks, faults and folds.

Thousands of survivors from Qingchuan and elsewhere attended the opening ceremony on Wednesday morning to pay their respects.