Young survivors in 2008 Sichuan earthquake now shine with confidence, committed to helping others

On May 12, 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan county in southwest China's Sichuan Province, leaving nearly 70,000 dead, 18,000 missing, and over 370,000 injured. Now, 17 years have passed, and the youth who were rescued back then have grown up. How are they doing now?

Wang Rui

Wang Rui was a 15-year-old preparing for the senior high school entrance examination when the earthquake hit. Crushed under several concrete slabs, she was trapped for over 10 hours. Though rescued, her right leg was amputated due to severe muscle damage. With a prosthetic leg, she learned to stand again.

Wang Rui competes in a match.

In 2009, encouraged by her family, she took up table tennis and fought her fate with every swing, eventually making it to the national team. Wang's team won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021. She won a gold medal in women's singles class 7 at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province in 2023, and a bronze medal in the women's singles event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France.

Niu Yu

At 11, Niu Yu lost her right leg in the earthquake. Encouraged by her parents, she rebuilt her confidence through challenges like climbing, badminton, and table tennis. Bit by bit, she learned to embrace herself.

She ran the Wenchuan Half Marathon with a prosthetic leg, earning the title "China's most beautiful marathon girl." She walked the runway at Shanghai Fashion Week, drawing applause. She has even decorated her prosthetic leg with flashy stickers.

Photo shows Niu Yu.

Now a photographer and content creator, she was elected in 2023 as a deputy to the 14th Sichuan Provincial People's Congress. At 28, she was admitted to her dream school through self-study and named a "National Self-Improvement Model."

Yang Lin

Yang Lin was 14 when her school building collapsed in the earthquake. She managed to push two classmates to safety but suffered multiple serious injuries herself. Transferred to Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital in Hangzhou, she was cared for by doctors and nurses who helped her throughout her recovery. That experience sparked a dream. She went on to study nursing and returned to the same hospital for her internship. Today, she works there as a rehabilitation nurse.

Yang Lin pushes a patient in a wheelchair. 

Zhu Yu

At 5, Zhu Yu was trapped under rubble during the earthquake. Doctors braved aftershocks to save her, performing brain surgery and amputating her left leg. When she woke up, she smiled, touching everyone around her. She dreamed of becoming a doctor. After failing the college entrance exam in 2021 for the first time, she persevered, retook the exam, and was accepted into Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan.

Photo shows Zhu Yu.

Now a third-year student, she said, "My disability never held me back. It made me value health more. I've received so much love, and I want to pass it on."

Zhang Zili

Zhang Zili was just 6 when the earthquake hit. His home collapsed, and soldiers and firefighters set up tents for survivors. He recalled, "A soldier played with me, taught me songs, and kept saying, 'Don't be afraid—we're here.'"

Photo shows Zhang Zili holding a baby rescued from the earthquake rubble.

That moment stayed with him. Today, Zhang is a firefighter. After a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Luding county of Sichuan in 2022, a photo of him cradling a rescued baby moved countless people. "I was rescued at 6, and now it's my turn to carry the torch," he said.

Cheng Qiang

On May 14, 2008, a 15-member paratrooper team was dispatched on an urgent mission after the earthquake hit. With no ground guidance, no visible markers, and no weather data, they leapt from nearly 5,000 meters into the quake-stricken zone, opening a critical lifeline for aerial rescue.

Among those saved was 12-year-old Cheng Qiang. The moment was etched into his memory. Holding a banner with all the determination of youth, he declared, "When I grow up, I'll be a paratrooper."

Cheng Qiang at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province in 2024. 

Years later, Cheng kept that promise. He joined the military and became a paratrooper. At the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, in 2024, he appeared as a platoon leader of the "Model Airborne Company," a time-honored unit under the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force Airborne Corps.

This year marks Cheng's 13th year in service. His conviction has never wavered. "As a soldier, especially a paratrooper, you don't hesitate. You charge forward when it counts," he said.