Source: CCTV.com

07-18-2008 10:23

The Qiang people of southwestern China were among those who suffered most in the May 12th tremor. Most major settlements of the Qiang were near the quake's epicenter. As reconstruction continues in Sichuan, the local government is setting out with determination to preserve what remains of the thousand-year old culture.

Qiang Watch Towers

Tuesday brought the opening ceremony, launching the Qiang Watch Towers and Settlements Preservation Project. This initiative, in Sichuan's Lixian county is the first, since the earthquake, to focus on restoring the culture of an ethnic minority.

Qiang communities

Qiang communities are scattered mainly in the counties of Lixian, Wenchuan, and Maoxian. They are distinguished by unique buildings. Most typical, are the watchtowers. Built of stones from local mountains, the watchtowers were used to monitor forest fires as well as bandit activity in olden times.

During the earthquake, most of the buildings in Qiang villages suffered damage of varying degrees. The new project, first will evaluate structural conditions of buildings. Then the buildings will be restored and reinforced. Local masons, familiar with the technique used to build watchtowers are being recruited to help.

Editor:Liu Fang