"Dong, Dong, Dong..." With the last few blows of the bricklayer, Mei Lishan, 42, raised her mouth and smiled with satisfaction. He then picked up the level ruler and carefully inspected whether the paved tiles were flat.

"The main body of the house was built in 2022, and the wall was built this year. Now the gate of the courtyard is also completed." On May 11, Mei Lishan, a villager of the Mida Villager Group of Shahe Village Committee, Cangshan West Town, Yangbi Yi Autonomous County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, said. In the yard, the green plants he planted are growing vigorously.

On May 21, 2021, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred in Yangbi County. The picture shows some houses of the Mida Village Group of Shahe Village Committee in Cangshan West Town, Yangbi County after the earthquake. Photographed by Yang Jiayan

On May 21, 2021, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 occurred in Yangbi County, causing 16686 households in the county to be damaged, with a direct economic loss of 1.87 billion yuan. The village where Meili Mountain is located has suffered particularly serious disasters due to its proximity to the epicenter, high mountains and steep roads, poor housing structure and other reasons.

"There are 43 households in the village, 40 of which need to be restored and rebuilt." Ma Xudong, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and mayor of Cangshan West Town, said that after the earthquake, Mida was included in the post disaster restoration and reconstruction resettlement site. However, due to poor traffic infrastructure, heavy coordination workload and other reasons, it has become the most difficult piece of "hard bone" in the post disaster restoration and reconstruction of the county.

Where is the difficulty? The road to the village is the first "roadblock". "The village is about 15 kilometers away from the county seat. Even on the current cement road, it will take an hour to drive," sighed Mei Zhihua, leader of the Mida Villagers' Group.

Mida Village Group of Shahe Village Committee, Cangshan West Town, Yangbi County after reconstruction. Photographed by Hu Zunhui, a reporter of People's Daily Online

"Road construction is the first step to rebuild our homes." Ma Xudong said firmly that within six months after the earthquake, Yangbi County quickly completed the repair and hardening of the road surface thanks to the support of the Shanghai Yunnan assistance project for post disaster recovery and reconstruction. Trucks of materials used for reconstruction have been continuously transported into the village.

Now, the cement road extending in all directions has reached every household, and the "dilemma of getting in and out" that once worried villagers has also been completely solved. "In the past, when I pulled a truck of building materials into the village, I had to back up in some sections of the road, and now I can directly send it to my house." The truck driver Chang Xiuqing said with a smile, and now it can save half an hour on a one-way trip.

The smooth road makes it easier to rebuild our homes.

After the earthquake, Mei Lishan's old house was seriously damaged. Photograph provided by respondents

Mei Lishan is one of the post disaster reconstruction households in the village. "Before the earthquake, I worked in Pu'er all the time. I wanted to work hard for several years before returning to the village to build a new house, but I didn't expect that my hometown would suffer a disaster." Mei Lishan said that after the earthquake, he voluntarily resigned to go home and shoulder the responsibility of building a house.

"The house is planned by the government, and we built it by ourselves." Mei Lishan said that his house and his brother's house were built together, so he chose a two-story small western-style building with five rooms, one living room and two bathrooms. It cost about 350000 yuan in total, and the government subsidized 66000 yuan.

"The house used to be a civil structure, not earthquake resistant," said Mei Lishan, taking out her mobile phone to show the damaged house to reporters. In the photo, a house with civil structure collapsed, the roof tiles and walls were broken, the rubble was scattered everywhere, and the scene was in a mess

"As long as people are free, everything is hopeful," said Mei Lishan. Fortunately, the earthquake did not cause too many casualties.

Mei Lishan's two-story villa. Photographed by Hu Zunhui, a reporter of People's Daily Online

Meilishan paused and continued to slide the screen of her mobile phone to show a picture of the new house. "This is the present house, brick concrete structure, earthquake resistant. Although the construction cost is high, it is safe and worth it!" Mei Lishan's firm tone revealed her satisfaction with the new home.

"I have been out for more than ten years, and I don't plan to go out this time." Sitting on the sofa in the living room of the newly built small western-style building, Mei Lishan's eyes reveal satisfaction and expectation, and he is full of confidence in the future life. After returning home, he not only planted basic crops, but also began to raise cattle and sheep. His life became richer and richer, and his life became more promising.

Mida villagers' group surrounded by walnut forest. Photographed by Hu Zunhui, a reporter of People's Daily Online

In the Mida Villagers' Group, there are many other villagers like Meili Mountain. In just three years, all the victims moved into new homes. Not only that, the village has also built new venues and pavilions to enjoy the cool. The old people in the village often sit in groups in the pavilion and chat, enjoying a quiet and comfortable old age.

Mida Village Group of Shahe Village Committee, Cangshan West Town, Yangbi County after reconstruction. Photographed by Hu Zunhui, a reporter of People's Daily Online

The change of the village group of Mida is only a microcosm of the recovery and reconstruction of Yangbi after the disaster. Over the past three years, with the care and support of the Party committees and governments at all levels and the generous assistance of all sectors of society, local cadres and the masses of all ethnic groups have united and worked hard to complete the restoration and reconstruction of 16686 households and build a new home.

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