Restored temple opens to public

Visitors climb to the Erwang Tempel in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, April 22, 2011. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

A newly rebuilt Erwang Temple, which was damaged in the deadly 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan province, opened to the public on April 21.

Erwang Temple became a high priority for post-quake reconstruction efforts in the province. One third of the buildings on temple grounds, covering an area of 4,000 square kilometers, were damaged in the quake. Except for the main temple, all other palaces, opera stages and some relics suffered different degrees of damage.

Reconstruction began in June 2008, and 1.05 million yuan was allocated to aid the projects. Most of the major work was completed by Nov 18, 2010, followed by minor renovation. It is estimated that there will be an 86 percent increase in tourist numbers compared to numbers before the earthquake.

"We faced many difficulties and problems during the reconstruction," said Fan Tuoyu, deputy director of the Dujiangyan City Bureau of Cultural Relics. "We had to reinforce the mountain in order to ensure the safety of the buildings on it due to a tendency for landslides."

To secure the mountain, 72 pilings were inserted into the mountain, as well as more than 1,000 posts and tree roots.

"It is a miracle, and it is quite amazing that I can't see any differences after the reconstruction," said Huang Xiaolin, a resident in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, who revisited the temple after the quake with his family.

"It is hard to tell the differences and connect it to the damage during the quake if you're not looking at those cracks," Huang said. Workers reinstalled 70 percent of the original pieces when rebuilding Erwang Temple.

About Erwang Temple:

Erwang Temple is an important part of the World Cultural Heritage-Dujiangyan Dam Irrigation System site. Located on the east bank of Minjiag River, Erwang Temple was built during the Wei and Jin Dynasty (AD 220 - 420) to commemorate the then top executive officer, Li Bing and his son, Er Lang, for their efforts to lead construction of the Dujiangyan Dam Irrigation System to protect communities from floods.