light in the darkness

汶川大地震 (Wènchuān Dà Dìzhèn), The Great Sìchuān Earthquake, happened on the 12th of May 2008 and killed more than 69,000 people.

On a normal Monday afternoon, a Richter scale 8.0 earthquake devastated Sìchuān Province. All of China remembers that day.  

The earthquake destroyed thousands of buildings, including many schools. But amid the tragedy and anguish, images of children rescued from the rubble gave hope, and a number of heartwarming stories brought the country together.

One little boy was seen saluting the soldiers who had been deployed to help with emergency relief. Another, 9-year-old Lín Hào, who was trapped under the debris with his classmates, organized group singing to keep up their spirits and personally saved several of his fellow students.  

Lín Hào became a national “little hero”, and walked in the Olympic procession later that year.

A day not soon forgotten. ifeng.com