Hope begins afresh for May 12 quake survivors

Source: China Daily | 02-25-2009 10:29

CHENGDU: Middle-aged taxi-driver Yuan Huafu gets up early every day and waits for his turn at the Dujiangyan long-haul bus station, the booming tourism destination of the past that now resembles a ghost city after the devastating May 12 earthquake.

An aerial view of collapsed buildings in an industrial  area in earthquake-affected Shifang, Sichuan province  May 18, 2008. [Agencies]

Yuan's taxi number is 0512, something that works in his favor, as he is able to get more passengers. "I am superstitiously linked with the quake," said Yuan, who is not only a skilled driver but also a guide who can schedule quake journeys, tell stories of the quakes and also arrange meetings with the survivors.