Liang makes four more deals as he gives us our interview, talking and moving between shelves of goods with a broad smile. He shows me a photo of his former shop, much larger than the present one and filled with goods. Liang's business has shrunk due to the blocked road, with less than 1,000 yuan in takings even on a good day. Most of the former shopkeepers in the town came from other places, and most of them left Yingxiu after the quake, while Liang and his Dazu Ironmongery chose to stay here. He hopes for a bright future although he is not eligible for the various government grants offered only to local residents.

Liang Bengui in his new ironmonger's shop [Cai Xiaochuan / San Lian Life Weekly]

"My family survived the disaster, and Yingxiu is rebuilding step by step. I have no reason to leave," he says. "I will start from the beginning again." As we talk to Liang Bengui, people gather from the temporary houses nearby. They browse through our earlier magazines, discussing the people in the photos taken last year. The discussion dies away, and people wipe their tears. The earthquake-battered scenes are rooted deeply in their memories.

We also meet Zhang Yufang, an elderly woman from Laojie Village who appeared in our magazine last year when our photographer met her among earthquake victims traveling from Yingxiu to Dujiangyan. The 85-year-old woman jokes with us after scrutinizing her photo in the magazine, asking why she looked so bad in the picture.

One of the saddest shots in last year's magazine was You Zhiguo, son of Zhang Yufang, searching the ruins for his daughter. Now he has put his life together again and built a new house with loans. In January he bought a car with the 60,000 yuan compensation for his dead daughter, deciding to pay off his debts as quickly as possible by working as a taxi driver.

Rebuilding a town from scratch is a long and difficult process. State authority will be faced with new challenges and choices here due to big differences from town to town, and village to village. After a year of recovery, Yingxiu has regained the hustle and bustle of the past. The red signage of restaurants, hotels, teahouses, and billiard-rooms appears among the blue roofs of the temporary houses, forming one of the most encouraging scenes in the reviving quake-hit town.

Zhou Taijun, a resident of Tai'an Village, celebrated Spring Festival with meat and rice offered by some of his friends. He told us that as a group leader in the village he planned to organize the villagers to have a simple meal together on the coming May 12. "We need to do something in memory of those who have gone, and regain confidence in our future," he said.

(China.org.cn translated by Li Xiao, May 12, 2009)