Quake-hit village named after French priest
Print Edition
A VILLAGE rebuilt after a 7.0-magnitude quake hit southwest China’s Sichuan Province in 2013 has been named after a French priest who discovered giant pandas there more than a century ago.
David New Village in Baoxing County is named after Armand David, who was also a zoologist.
“Everyone here agreed on the village’s name, after all it was Father David who made our village famous,” said Luo Yumei, the deputy town chief of Fengtongzhai.
“We will never forget him. He is a part of this land,” said Luo.
More than 140 years ago, while Armand David was working in the township, he came across a giant panda, which locals called the black-and-white bear. The animal was caught with the intention of sending it to Paris alive, unfortunately it died during transport. However, its body was preserved and remains on display at the French National Museum, Paris.
The new village is home to 168 villagers from 39 families, whose houses were either seriously damaged in the quake or were deemed dangerous due to the potential for landslides.
Initiated by the local government and China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, the renovation program set out to turn the mountainous village into a modern resort characterized by its Catholic culture and the region’s pandas.
The village consists of 39 villa-like houses, which the owners plan to make into hostels in the future, made from bamboo and local cedar. Walls and tiles of the villas were made of hay and mud, which can retain heat and protect it from damp.
Construction of the village, which also has a recreation center and a clinic, began in April last year and is expected to be complete by October 1.
“Cultural protection and environmental protection are also important to this integrated tourism development project,” said Luo.
The 176-year-old wooden Dengchigou Catholic Church in the village, where Father David once worked and lived, survived the quake almost intact. Most of the villagers are Catholics.
A panda house will be built some 20 minutes of walk from the village and a pair of pandas will follow later. It is due to open to the public within the year, and will serve to highlight panda protection initiatives.
The earthquake killed 196 and affected 2 million people, leaving more than 100,000 families homeless.
A three-year rehabilitation program covers an area of 10,706 square kilometers.
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