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Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province
Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies go out to these great people as they recover from the tragic May 12, 2008 earthquake. Donations for relief efforts can be made through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies here: http://www.ifrc.org/ or World Vision here: http://www.worldvision.org/
There is also a list of several charities helping with earthquake relief efforts at:
http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/international/earthquake/china080512.aspx
We had originally published this Dujiangyan web page in mid-April 2008 in anticipation of beginning tours to this area in conjunction with our relationship with a book publisher here in Beijing that was publishing an English travel guide book entitled: Dujiangyan: in Harmony with Nature, which has turned into an incredibly tragically ironic book title. A launch party had been held on April 30, 2008, and we were fortunate to meet the head of the tourism department of Dujiangyan, and to see what a beautiful travel destination filled with warm and friendly people that this entire region truly was. We were excited to have the opportunity to bring travelers to Dujiangyan, but the events of May 12, 2008 have made that impossible.
Today (May 22) we have received notice that all of the remaining copies of the Dujiangyan book will be sold as a memorial to those who died, many of them far too young, and as a snapshot in time of what a fantastic place the area was, and to aid in the city’s recovery in becoming a living, breathing city once again. All proceeds will go to the Dujiangyan Young Survivors charity group, which aims to provide support services to the youth of Dujiangyan who have been hardest hit by this tragedy. For information on how to purchase the book, which will directly benefit these survivors, please visit the book publisher’s homepage at www.cnlookingglass.com. For more information on the Dujiangyan Young Survivors group, please e-mail them at DJYoungsurvivors@yahoo.com. The following is the press release that we received this afternoon (or view the original at http://www.beijingdiscoverytours.com/Sichuan%20Earthquake%20-%20Matric.pdf - Adobe’s Acrobat Reader required):
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May 22, 2008
Disaster has followed success in a big way.
The massive earthquake north of Chengdu last Monday came only two weeks after the book launch of Dujiangyan: In Harmony with Nature, the first ever English-language guidebook for one of the prettiest and most relaxing places in China. Further to the total devastation in Wenchuan County, Dujiangyan, Hongkou, Longxi and Qingchengshan were also seriously damaged and many (mostly young people) lost their lives. The surviving children with have mental and physical scars for life.
We want our irrevocably out-of-date guidebook to Dujiangyan to continue to stand for something:
-As a marker of how developed and welcoming the historic area had become
-As a condolence to the people we met and photographed, for whom tragedy will be close at hand
-As the bridge between the international community and a very special neighbourhood of China
All of the above and more: we want Dujiangyan to live again.
Dujiangyan Young Survivors
The aim is to distribute all 6000 remaining copies of Dujiangyan: in harmony for nature for the children of Dujiangyan, Longxi, Hongkou, Qingchengshan and further afield on the road to Wenchuan.
Each book costs 200 RMB. That is, the cover price of 198 RMB, and two yuan for distribution costs. The entire proceeds will be given to Dujiangyan Young Survivors.
With the money raised, we have a range of ambitions. At the lower level, we will purchase sports equipment, toys and books for the children of the worst affected schools of Dujiangyan. At the higher level, we will use the money donated to hire a van, fill it with donated toys, sports equipment and books and operate a mobile recreation centre (or more than one) in the villages and towns of Dujiangyan/Wenchuan during the summer months, when depression among surviving youth is likely to settle. We will follow the donations closely, with volunteers and writers in the area during the summer to gather information for a report on Dujiangyan Young Survivors.
What you can do
1. If you as an individual would like to buy Dujiangyan: in harmony with nature, please reply with your address and phone number. We will send you a book and call you to explain where to donate your money. We will then put you on our mailing list for the report of our project to be written during the summer.
2. If you as an organization think you can help distribute Dujiangyan: in harmony with nature at your events from now until June 30, please come to:
Dujiangyan Young Survivors - Matric Appeal
Campaign Opening Drinks
Where: Garden Books, Guanghua Lu, Beijing
鍏‰鍗庤� 鍙峰反瑗垮ぇ浣块 瀵归� 6585-1435
When: Thursday, 22 May 2008
Time: 18.30 - 20.00
If your company pledges to distribute books at this event or following it, we will:
-allocate or send boxes of books (50 per box) to your organisation
-give you a poster per 50 books to promote the Dujiangyan Young Survivors Campaign
-give you a sheet to fill in with the contact details of each purchaser of the book for charity
-explain how donations are to be given (either by organization or by individual purchasers)
-include the name of your organisation in the report of our project to be written during the summer.
We hope each organization will offer to distribute either 50 or 100 books before June 22. This way, we can send our donations to Dujiangyan young survivors for the start of the summer vacation when the need for toys, books and sports will be most felt.
3. If you as a journalist or media company would like to help write/sponsor our summer report on Dujiangyan Young Survivors campaign, please contact us with details of your media organization and proposed involvement.
-For step-by-step information on how you can receive a copy of Dujiangyan: in harmony with nature for charity, please see the homepage of www.cnlookingglass.com
For more information on the Dujiangyan Young Survivors campaign, please email DJYoungsurvivors@yahoo.com
 
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