On May 12, nine years ago, almost 70,000 lives were lost to a deadly earthquake in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. On this day, we remember the deceased and those who survived. Ye Zhiping, “the greatest principal” – he invested to reinforce school buildings before the disaster, which helped save all the students and faculty at Sangzao Middle School. /VCG Photo
Li Yue, the ballet girl who had to have her leg amputated but never gave up her dancing dream. /VCG Photo
Xue Xiao, the boy who lifted spirits by saying “please get me a coke, iced coke” after being trapped for 80 hours. /VCG Photo
And little hero Lin Hao, the nine-year-old who carried two of his classmates out of the ruins. /VCG Photo