Wu Jing, one of China’s best loved Kung-fu film actors, writes in his blog about his personal experience as a volunteer during the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake. Wu then tells us about how he feels one year on and how a trip back to the quake zone where he helped out made him feel.

A few days after getting back to Beijing from Sichuan my heart was still racing. Every time I sat down at my computer to write something my head would start swimming with a million thoughts and I found it impossible to express myself.

To be honest, I was excited at the prospect of going back, but when I actually got there I felt nothing but peace and calm. I could think of only one thing, to give the survivors there come happiness and lay to rest the souls of those that had passed away. After expressing this wish to the local people they responded with sincerity and were truly moved.

It was truly amazing the responses I got from them. The response came in all sorts of different ways, from a drink of water offered to people singing songs to me, even a shy ‘thank you’. But the responses were all very genuine and one by one they struck me to the core of my being. So, one year later I decided to go back and see if they’re ‘alright’.

Photo: wujinggongfu.blog

Least year’s disaster appalled the world, and made a lasting impression on my heart. I was one of the first people to join Jet Lee’s volunteer group that rushed to Shifang City in Deyang County, Sichuan, one of the main areas hit by the quake. We took supplies and tents and got there before the journalists, we all knuckled down and got on with it.

We organized over 30 students from the local secondary school to help us and we made good progress. After we had finished we spent time playing together, reading books with them and although everyday we were exhausted, we felt at peace.

I still remember one time when we were having dinner and one of the nearby workers asked if we could have a photo together. Of course I couldn’t refuse him, but that way there wasn’t time to have dinner, so the kids surrounded us and kept people away while we had dinner. It was that kind of pure display of love that moved me so much.

Photo: wujinggongfu.blog

Afterwards, when we were due to leave, we received a military honorary send off. Not because I am Wu Jing, not because I am a star, but because I was a genuine help to the people of the disaster zone. This kind of show of pure gratitude is enough to bring a man to tears and really hit me in the pit of my stomach.

This year the Master of Buddhist Cuisine of the Lohat Temple is visiting Beijing and we all got together. He told me that the Dream Boat Star Club Secretaries Hong Yin and Yao Guozhi wanted to gather together another group of stars to revisit the disaster area and deliver more supplies. As soon as I heard him mention it I just knew I had to go, I had to go to revisit if only to achieve closure for all concerned.

Our first stop was not Sichuan, but Xi’an. During last year’s earthquake Xi’an and large parts of Shaanxi were hit badly by the quake. We visited a primary school in Lantian country, dropping off supplies.

Our route into Sichuan by road was still perilous, as frequent rock slides caused by earth loosened in last year’s quake make for a treacherous route. After the inevitable traffic jams after one slide we eventually made it into northern Sichuan and back to Shifang City.

Photo: wujinggongfu.blog

I cannot describe the emotions I felt on finally setting foot on that once terribly broken land. The few days we spent there meeting the people and just trying to make them smile made the journey worth it. One year later many people are struggling day by day to cope with the result of loosing loved ones and property. It will take a long time for the wounds to heal, but until then the local people are determined to fight on.

See this blog in its original form at Wu Jing’s blog

More Wenchuan pictures by Wu Jing

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