Many shops in Jiuzhaigou are still closed. (Thepaper.cn/Wang Xin)

A lot of shops—restaurants, supermarkets, and drug stores, which used to cash in on the Jiuzhaigou tourist site, remain closed. “No tourist will show up right now,” a resident of Shangzhai Village of Jiuzhaigo where an earthquake hit last month, said on Sept. 10.

Behind the quietness is the local government’s hard work to try to return everything back to normal and residents’ efforts to rebuild their life. Lots of the villagers believe their life will be better off than before after the tourist site reopens.

Villagers at a relocation site in Zhangzha Township under the jurisdiction of the Jiuzhaigou County said their life has basically returned to normal and they will move back to their homes when renovation work is finished.

(Thepaper.cn/Wang Xin)

According to an employee with the administrative office of the Jiuzhaigou tourist site, they are still working to remove potential dangers in five scenic spots and the site won’t reopen for a short period of time, saying they will inform the press and the public via their official Weibo account.

Out of safety concerns, 42-year-old Qiujiu and his family still live under a tent at a relocation site, though their house is on the opposite side of the road.

“The government has handed out food, vegetables, and other necessities to us. The tent and the quits keep us warm at night, and our smartphones are connected with free Wi-Fi, the only inconvenience is taking a bath,” Qiujiu said, believing it won’t be long before the scenic spot reopens.

As renovation work moves forward, tents at two relocation sites were removed on Sept. 5 and 7, with the villagers moving to live with their friends and relatives or going back to their houses.

Wang Qiujiu, a local resident, checks his daughter's homework. (Thepaper.cn/Wang Xin)

According to the renovation committee of the Jiuzhaigou County, only 34 relocation sites were left by Sept. 6, providing shelter for 2,983 people. A total of 301 relocation sites were launched for 27,243 people after the earthquake occurred.

Currently, workers are removing potential dangers at five scenic spots and the project will last for two months.

Local authorities in Jiuzhaigou said they have provided over 10,000 job opportunities for local residents at two job fairs so far. One-hundred-and-sixty-nine people have found jobs outside the county, and another 4,177 people have been relocated from or gone back to their previous jobs. 

A mobile bank in Jiuzhaigou (Thepaper.cn/Wang Xin)