Students begin new semester at three rebuilt schools in Xizang's Dingri

(ECNS) -- Three primary schools rebuilt after last year’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Dingri County, Xigaze, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, welcomed students Monday as the autumn semester began.

At a newly rebuilt primary school in Tsogo Township, students danced, jumped rope and played football on the new playground. The campus also features spacious classrooms, a dining hall and dormitory facilities.

The new teaching building is fitted with high-performance viscous dampers designed to absorb and dissipate seismic energy, and is designed for a seismic fortification intensity of 8.

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Dingri, causing damages to 79 schools. The three primary schools, being the most severely damaged, required full reconstruction, while the remaining 76 underwent repairs and structural reinforcement.

(By Intern Yang Hongran, Zhang Dongfang)