Wenchuan

Wenchuan County is a county in the Aba (Ngawa) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, China. It lies in the mountainous northeast of the province, within the upper Min River watershed. The county is home to ethnic Qiang and Tibetan communities alongside Han Chinese, and it contains several towns and townships. The county seat is located in the town of Wenchuan.

Geography and economy: The terrain is rugged and high, with rural settlements scattered across valleys and ridges. The local economy relies on agriculture and animal husbandry, with growing emphasis on tourism and the processing of regional resources.

2008 earthquake and aftermath: On May 12, 2008, a major earthquake with a moment magnitude of about 7.9 to 8.0 struck Sichuan, with its epicenter near Yingxiu in Beichuan County. Wenchuan County sustained extensive damage, and many residents were killed or displaced as buildings collapsed. Rescue operations were conducted by domestic and international teams, followed by large-scale reconstruction and relief programs. In the years that followed, infrastructure was rebuilt, housing was reconstructed, and disaster-preparedness and memorial efforts were established.