China speeds up post-disaster rebuilding to secure sustainable future for quake-hit county

LANZHOU -- For most Chinese farmers, the freezing winter period before the Spring Festival is typically a slack season in the agricultural calendar, but for 47-year-old An Mingqiang, it is an unusually busy time.

At home, An looks after more than 20 head of cattle, over 30 sheep and more than 200 pigeons, while also pruning his nectarine trees. "The more work I do, the more I earn. That gives me peace of mind," he said.

An is a farmer from Bonan-Dongxiang-Salar autonomous county of Jishishan, Northwest China's Gansu province. On the night of Dec 18, 2023, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the county, which is home to about 280,000 people.

The quake damaged more than 230,000 rooms and affected over 50,000 households, impacting around 240,000 residents. An's house suffered severe structural cracks and was rendered uninhabitable.

In March 2024, Jishishan county began systematically advancing post-disaster reconstruction efforts. Under relevant policies, An received a subsidy of 75,000 yuan (about $10,786) and a 50,000-yuan subsidized loan to rebuild his home on its original site.

With an average altitude exceeding 2,200 meters, Jishishan endures harsh winters, with temperatures that can plunge below minus 10 degrees Celsius. For residents affected by the disaster, moving into a warm, newly built home was their greatest wish.

In remote Jishishan, frequent rainfall in summer and autumn made post-disaster reconstruction anything but easy. To ensure residents could resettle in warm homes before winter, construction teams from across Gansu rose to the challenge.

Working around the clock for more than eight months, more than 17,000 workers repaired homes for 28,927 households, rebuilt 10,080 houses on their original sites, and completed the construction of all 10,015 new homes across 13 centralized resettlement areas.

"In just six months, we all moved into new homes. All our worries are gone. We've really experienced the efficiency of 'China speed' firsthand," said An.

Beyond housing, Jishishan county has focused on revitalizing industries to help affected residents like An Mingqiang not only resettle securely but also build sustainable livelihoods.

Measures include robust support for the livestock sector through subsidies for purchasing cattle, sheep and feed, as well as for building barns; the active promotion of crop cultivation -- such as ginseng fruit, pumpkins and nectarines -- by providing free seedlings to farmers; the transfer of land-use rights and the construction of greenhouses to create local employment; and the deployment of agricultural experts to offer on-site guidance and technical training.

With guidance from the local government, An not only continued his livestock breeding efforts but also converted part of his land to cultivate higher-value cash crops like pumpkins and nectarines.

"Last year, my pumpkins sold for tens of thousands of yuan," An said. "The government not only provided free pumpkin seedlings but also set up sales stalls for us in the county."

The financial returns from the new planting strategy delighted An. After this Spring Festival, he plans to lease another 10 mu (about 0.67 hectares) of land to grow pumpkins. Last year, his sales of cattle and sheep brought in over 80,000 yuan.

With guidance from agricultural experts, he also began raising egg-laying pigeons, whose eggs -- selling for 3 to 5 yuan each -- are in high demand, and ventured into beekeeping. His 15 beehives yield around 75 kilograms of honey annually, which sells for up to 160 yuan per kilogram.

Dong Gajun, Party chief of Zhangguojia village, said that about 80 percent of the 54 households in the village that rebuilt on their original sites are now engaged in breeding or planting.

Ma Zhanbiao, head of Jishishan county, said that after the earthquake, the county pursued housing reconstruction and industrial cultivation in parallel to ensure that disaster-affected people could both settle securely and thrive in their work.

At the Hejia village resettlement site in Guanjiachuan township, about 20 kilometers from Zhangguojia village, the ginseng fruit greenhouses operated by Gansu Glacier Summer Agricultural Product Supply Chain Co., Ltd. are bustling with activity. In the weeks leading up to Spring Festival, orders have surged, keeping workers busy harvesting ripe fruit, pruning shoots, and applying fertilizer.

Established in June 2025 with government support, the company primarily grows and sells vegetables and fruits to employ relocated residents. Xie Wei, who manages the company, said that 90 percent of its workers are disaster-affected residents.

Ma Lianxi, from Zhangxiejia village in Guanjiachuan township, was relocated with his five family members to the Huateng Community in Chuimatan township just six months after the earthquake, moving into a 150-square-meter apartment. Drawing on his extensive farming experience, he was hired by the company to manage greenhouse operations.

"As soon as the greenhouse was built, I started working here, with a monthly salary of 4,500 yuan," Ma said. He said that at 61, he now has a steady job as a "salaried worker." "The houses were built quickly and well, and industrial cultivation kept pace. The government considered everything for us, letting us truly feel what 'China speed' means," he added.

Li Yong, Party chief of Jishishan county, told Xinhua that by the end of November last year, all 209 post-disaster recovery and reconstruction projects in the county -- including housing, education and healthcare -- had been completed.

The county accomplished its three-year reconstruction task in just two years. Notably, the county's agricultural industry was restructured and upgraded, with the concentrated construction of 374 greenhouses and 56 livestock breeding and rearing pens. The scale of protected agriculture expanded significantly, with livestock breeding reaching a record high.

According to Mao Jinhuang, a professor at the School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Jishishan county's post-disaster recovery and reconstruction -- ensuring both resettlement and prosperity -- demonstrates the efficient and pragmatic "China speed."

This success stems not only from scientific, systematic planning and resource allocation, but also from the collaborative support of all sectors of society and the mutual aid among affected residents, collectively providing a vivid example of effective post-disaster reconstruction, Mao noted.