Life returning to normal after quake

"At 6 am, soldiers offer tent inhabitants instant noodles, milk, eggs and congee. At noon, volunteers give us bread and water. For dinner, kindhearted people give us porridge," Zhao said.

When the earthquake struck, cracks appeared in the walls of Zhao's apartment and she carried her 8-year-old son Xiaoyun, who was fast asleep, outside.

Zhao, her son and 19-year-old daughter Yimei share a tent with nine relatives.

"The government has provided cots, quilts and tents. Experts arrived in the town of Shuanghe, the epicenter of the quake, today to check whether homes are still habitable. Those whose homes are still livable are expected to return in one or two days," she said.