MIANZHU, CHINA — Life in a tent gets old quickly, but many people are living in far worse conditions or did not even make it through the temblor, Chinese earthquake survivors said Friday.
Tent cities dominate many of the areas hardest hit by the magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck May 12, killing 70,000 people. These range from well-built structures emblazoned with United Nations, Red Cross and other humanitarian agency logos to slapdash types patched together with sticks, tarp and string.
More tents are arriving from numerous sources as the Chinese government has put them at the top of its donor wish list, and life is slowly being re-created under plastic and canvas, a testament to the resilience of Sichuan province's residents.
Among the biggest headaches, survivors say, are mosquitoes, heat and boredom.
"You can't sleep at night with all the bugs, it's over 100 degrees in the daytime, and there's no electricity," said farmer Deng Shiguan, 51, standing on a pile of shattered roof tiles beside his wrecked house in Mianzhu. "And there's nothing to do all day. We shouldn't complain though. Many others are far worse off."
Main street was also being re-created under canvas as tent shopping centers were springing up at major intersections. At a traffic circle on Jingguan Road, 20 merchants hawked clothing, shoes and raw pork beneath tents and oversized umbrellas.
With the economy slowly awakening, there were few reports of price gouging, and many vendors indicated that business was down 20% to 50%. Some survivors found cash in their damaged houses when they returned to salvage their belongings. Others received money from relatives or stipends from the government.
Friday was Wu Ping's first day selling her lightbulbs, lamps and extension cords. Her store was destroyed and many potential customers were without power, so she had sold only a couple of lamps.
"We're not waiting around for government help," she said. "We're pricing things to move."
A few feet away, vegetable seller Fan Jiaxi, 43, weighed a pile of celery on a battery-powered scale. He's started arriving early each day to grab the best spot near the corner.
"Keep standing here," he said beside a pile of Sichuan chili peppers the size of a pitcher's mound. "Being interviewed by a foreigner helps my business."
