Earthquake- hit Jiuzhaigou ‘ can be restored quickly’

Earthquake- battered Jiuzhaigou, one of China’s most appealing natural landscapes located in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, can be restored soon with currently available technology, Chinese experts said.

The scenic spots in Jiuzhaigou national park were not seriously damaged during the 7.0- magnitude tremor last week, and the majority of the serene lakes there remain intact after the earthquake, Chen Xiaoqing, an expert at the Institute of Mountain Hazard and Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times, following a thorough inspection of postquake Jiuzhaigou.

He added that the Nuo Ri Lang Waterfall and Huo Hua Lake within Jiuzhaigou park were more severely shaken, but other landscapes escaped from damages during the quake. According to information from the park administration, the earthquake left Huo Hua Lake with a 50- meterlong, 20- meter- wide and 12- meter- deep chasm.

Chen said that the waterfall and the lake can be restored. “It’s like a scar left on a human body. Many would choose to cover it by skin taken from other parts of the body,” Chen said, adding that there’s controversy about whether to restore the scenic spots through artificial means.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake jolted Jiuzhaigou on August 8, killing 25 and injuring 525, according to the Sichuan provincial government.

The earthquake hit Jiuzhaigou scenic spots, which attracted about 35,000 tourists from all over the world per day before the earthquake.

A local resident named Dolma, who visited the park a few times after the earthquake, said that, although the earthquake made the lakes muddy, they become cleaner with each passing day.

Chen said that the lakes in Jiuzhaigou national park have the capability of self- purification. “The water can clean itself within a week after the debris are washed away by rain,” said Chen. At the same time, the weather in Jiuzhaigou is helpful for vegetation to recover fairly quickly.