2008 Sichuan Earthquake 汶川大地震

2008年回顾 汶川大地震 Sichuan earthquake

The nineteenth deadliest earthquake of all time, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake which measured at 8.0 Ms and 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01.42 CST on May 12, 2008 in Sichuan province of China and by any name killed at least 69,000 less than three months before China hosted the world in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

告别多灾多难的2008年,天佑中华!

汶川大地震發生於北京時間2008年5月12日14时28分04.1秒（协调世界时5月12日06时28分04.1秒，震央位於中國四川省阿坝藏族羌族自治州汶川縣境内、四川省省会成都市西北偏西方向90千米处。根据中国地震局的数据，此次地震的面波震级达8.0Ms、矩震級達8.3Mw，破坏地区超过10 万平方公里。地震烈度可能達到11度根据美国地质调查局的数据，矩震级达到了7.9Mw。截至6月29日11时，死亡人数已超過69,188人，是中华人民共和国立國後破坏力最大的地震，亦是唐山大地震後傷亡最惨重的一次。地震後中國首次容許媒體24小時傳播災情，災情引起民間強烈迴響，全國以至全球紛紛捐款，軍方除了調動和平時代以來最龐大的隊伍救災外，國內外皆派出人道救援隊伍，大量志願者加入救災，累積捐款高達400億元。外界除了關注地震災情外，亦注視它如何改變中國社會的面貌。

The Great Wall of China 长城 長城

The Great Wall of China 长城 長城 is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of successive dynasties. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC. The most famous is the wall built between 220–200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang; little of it remains; it was much farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty.

The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China

China's national treasure: Giant Panda 大熊貓

Giant Panda 大熊貓

Binomial name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca (literally "cat-foot black-and-white")

The Giant Panda is a mammal classified in the bear family (Ursidae), native to central-western and southwestern China.The Giant Panda was previously thought to be a member of the Procyonidae family because they used to eat meat and fish (raccoons and their relatives). It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though belonging to the order Carnivora, the Giant Panda has a diet which is 99% bamboo. The Giant Panda may eat other foods such as honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, and bananas when available.

The Giant Panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. It once lived in lowland areas, but farming, forest clearing, and other development now restrict the Giant Panda to the mountains.

The Giant Panda is an endangered species and highly threatened. According to the latest report,China has 239 Giant Pandas in captivity and another 27 living outside the country. It also estimated that around 1,590 pandas are currently living in the wild. However, a 2006 study, via DNA analysis, estimated that there might be as many as 2,000 to 3,000 Giant Pandas in the wild.[5] Though reports show that the numbers of wild pandas are on the rise, the International Union for Conservation of Nature believes there is not enough certainty to remove the Giant Panda from the endangered animal list.

While the dragon has historically served as China's national emblem, in recent decades the Giant Panda has also served as an emblem for the country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Panda

China's Olympic Champions

China has won 51 gold medals, 21 silver medals and 28 bronze medals at
the 29th summer Olympic game.
Below are all the gold medal winners.

The closing ceremony of the 29th Olympiad

What enjoyable two weeks !
We are all proud of China, for successfully hosting the Olympic game.
Cannot wait for the next Olympic game, 2012 in London.