Floodwaters in Dongning City of China's northeastern Heilongjiang Province have receded. Reporter Lu Sirui visited the city to investigate the impacts of the floods and the restoration work that's underway.

One day after the flood peak, Dongning City has quickly begun returning to normal. Residents now are again cheering up their lives with music. Only the sand bags lying alongside the river banks tell what the city has been through.

XUE WENLIANG Residents, Dongning City "We thank the government for all their preventive measures. But I was a bit afraid because of the double impacts of Typhoons Doksuri and Khanun. I prepared food and water that can last for a week."

XU YANG Residents, Dongning City "The water has not affected our lives much. Before the flood peak came, the soldiers built extra sand bags here. We feel well-protected."

But it's a different picture in the surrounding rural areas. In Naozhigou Village, restoration work has yet to begin as the water has not been drained out. Members of the Village Committee are distributing water and sanitation powder to each family. Sterilization work in the village is also in progress.

Liu Shizhong's house was submerged late last Friday. He's now waiting for the government to find him a new place to stay in. 

"If we didn't use the sand bags, the water would be as high as this. With the sand bags, the water came up to here. Look, these clothes were all soaked in water."

But Liu says it's still a tough decision for him to move.

LIU SHIZHONG Villager, Naozhigou Village "I have been living here for 60 years. I really don't want to move. But I have no choice."

Zheng Xiuxiang's greenhouses for wood ear fungus and some crops to be picked in the coming weeks have all been washed away or ruined. Together with the sense of security of a woman in her sixties. 

"These fungus, they have not sprouted yet. And these, they were just about to sprout. But they are already ruined."

ZHENG XIUXIANG Villager, Naozhigou Village "I'm already 60 years old. I don't know what else I can do to make a living. My life relied on the fungus."

The village is working around the clock to clean up roads and channel away water. Locals say the government is trying hard to restore power and communications.

LI JIAJUN Village Party Secretary, Naozhigou Village "I feel a big pressure now. With the facilities to grow fungus ruined, we might have a tough year ahead. So I want to strive for a good policy from the government. The best I can think about now is to apply for a free loan for our villagers."

LU SIRUI Dongning City, Heilongjiang Province "The rain has stopped but the restoration work has to continue. For the village, it's a big challenge to rebuild facilities and reconstruct the infrastructures, but it's more difficult to resume local economy. But they all said that with the support of the government, they will finally get back their beautiful homeland. Lu Sirui, CGTN, Heilongjiang Province."