At a tourism promotional event in Beichuan, women of the Qiang ethnic group demonstrate their skill with embroidery. by Jiang Hongjing/Xinhua

Visitors from afar relax in bamboo chairs over a cup of tea, a favorite pastime of Sichuan residents.

Chengdu, rebounded from the May earthquake. by He Junchang/Xinhua

Spicy and full of local flavors, hot pot cuisine of Sichuan enjoys fame far beyond the province. Here visitors partake.

Young hospitality workers, happy on the job.

Temple of Twin Kings, after the quake.

Temple of Twin Kings at Dujiangyan, a World Heritage site, prior to the May earthquake. by Zhang Quansheng/CFP

To boost tourism in the aftermath of the quake, many Sichuan scenic sites now offer free admission. by Zhang Yanhui/Xinhua

The Sanxingdui Site Museum newly reopened after renovations. by Fan Jian/Xinhua

The newly-reopened Chengdu Jinsha Museum is home to many important archaeological discoveries, of great interest to both domestic and international tourists. by Huang/CFP

Unforgettable

On May 12, Wu Xiaorong, 35, a slender tour guide with the Sichuan Branch of China International Travel Service, was escorting 12 tourists from the Wolong Giant Panda Base to Dujiangyan City when their bus began to shake a few minutes after 2 p.m. Her first thought was that a tire had blown out. But upon seeing the truck ahead rock violently as huge stones rolled from the mountain, she realized that it was the Earth that shook. For Wu and her tour group of 12, the harrowing six hours of escape that followed would never be forgotten.

Four months later, when Wu recounted to me those moments, I could sense her still lingering trepidation.

Almost immediately after the quake hit, the Beijing-based China National Tourism Administration issued an urgent notice, pursuant to which the Sichuan tourism market was temporarily closed, and all Sichuan-bound tour routes were ceased.

Soon Sichuan tourism was essentially nonexistent. Daily visitor counts at Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, dropped from the previous 10,000 to a mere four. Naturally, hotel occupancy rates plummeted. In May alone, the Chengdu Minshan Tourism Group recorded a hotel operational deficit of 5 million yuan.

Also damaged were natural and cultural resources unique to Sichuan. Both the two World Heritage sites in Chengdu, the Mount Qingcheng-Dujiangyan Irrigation System and the Giant Panda Sanctuary in Mt. Wolong, were severely damaged. At the Dujiangyan scenic area, most of the ancient buildings collapsed. Highways leading to the Wolong Nature Reserve were severed. Many of Sichuan’s other scenic sites were destroyed.

Tourism is one of the economic pillars of Sichuan, and Sichuan is China’s only province in which the tourism sector exceeds 8 percent of its GDP — the internationally recognized criterion designating a tourism-developed region.

“Up to now, the Wenchuan earthquake resulted in a loss of 62.4 billion yuan in Sichuan’s tourism, equivalent to 50 percent of the province’s total tourism income of last year,” explained Zhang Gu, director of the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Administration.

Many in the industry were considering a change in their profession, and some predicted that it would take five years for the province’s tourism sector to completely recover. Spirit Unbowed

Sitting at an open-air teahouse on the bank of the Funan River in urban Chengdu, John from the United States enjoyed tea while bathed in the autumn sun. In the local manner, he held the teacup with one hand, lifted the lid with the other, and then with the lid gently pushed aside the tealeaves floating atop the steaming water. Over this cup of jasmine-scented brew, he spoke freely with this reporter. This was his second visit to Chengdu, and he says he particularly loves the delicious Sichuan dishes and the warm-hearted local people. When asked about his impression of the post-quake influence upon the city, he said he could sense the local people’s determination while observing their efforts to recover from the quake. “If you love Chengdu, travel to this city,” he said, then smiled broadly. “See, I did!”

The municipal government implemented a variety of measures to revive Chengdu’s tourism, and the China National Tourism Administration in June formally reopened tourism in Sichuan Province, excepting in the most seriously affected areas. It will take time for industry confidence to return to normal, and the overall resumption of the market must be accomplished step-by-step.

At the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Administration, I learned that due to a lack of confidence among potential tourists outside the province, the number of Sichuan-bound domestic tourists was less than 50 percent of normal numbers for that time of year, and the number of overseas tourists visiting was 20 percent of normal.

The provincial government was very aware of the problem. Huang Yanrong, vice governor of Sichuan in charge of the province’s tourism industry, revealed that the Wenchuan earthquake did not fundamentally impact the tourism industry of the entire province.

Interestingly, while tourists beyond the province perhaps became more hesitant to visit, intra-province short-route tours prospered. Sichuan Provincial Tourism Administration Director Zhang Gu informed this reporter that last June and July, Ya’an, the discovery site of China’s first giant panda and a city near Chengdu that was little affected by the quake, received more than 1.19 million tourists and a tourism income of 642 million yuan, up by 24.71 percent and 37.77 percent over the same period of last year, respectively. According to Zhang Gu, of the more than 4,000 tourist sites across Sichuan, only 360 were damaged during the earthquake, while the vast majority remain fascinating and attractive. Zhang expressed confidence that very soon Sichuan will see a surge of tourists.

Local Cabby – Foreign Chef

French chef Pascal moved to Chengdu for a new job after the May 12 earthquake. Why did he come to this city at a time when many were departing? At the end of last September, at the elegant Desir restaurant, nestled in a trendy district, I met Pascal. He explained that he was invited from Vietnam and this was his first visit to Chengdu. When asked whether he was worried, arriving right after the quake, he responded, “Why? The city has recovered, and, as a matter of fact, the pace of recovery was very impressive.” He discussed the respective virtues of French and Sichuan cuisines. “I’m very glad that people here like beef and steak. I like Sichuan dishes, but they are too spicy!” he exclaimed, with a Franco-style shrug of the shoulders.

Su, a local taxi driver, seems an honest and sincere sort. And, when I stepped into his cab around 9 p.m., he also seemed exhausted. During our conversation I learned that he had driven a taxi for eight years, and that to earn more money he drove during the night while his wife drove the daytime shift. In this way, the couple’s total income had risen back to the level before the earthquake. “There’s an obvious decrease in the number of tourists from outside the town, but I’m sure they will soon return,” said Su, confidently.

During my stay in the city, I also encountered groups of tourists from overseas. Due to a decrease of the number of visitors, each of the tourists to Jiuzhaigou Valley was offered VIP preferential treatment. Some hotels used this low time to refurbish facilities and train employees. Along the highway from Chengdu to Dujiangyan were huge banners displaying huge characters meaning “Thanks to Society, Building a New Home.”

On October 1, the Mount Qingcheng-Dujiangyan Irrigation System scenic area reopened to the public, and a 3.75-billion-yuan-investment project for developing this area into an international leisure and holiday resort has been launched.

I departed Chengdu on a Saturday morning. As we were wrapping things up, my local escort, Kuang, began to call friends to arrange for a hot-pot dinner and a gathering afterward at a teahouse. Life goes on, and Chengdu remains leisurely, dynamic, and appealing.