County was once 'paradise on Earth'

"It is raining in Wenchuan. The county used to be a paradise on Earth As I flip through the photos taken during a trip last November, all I feel is sorrow."

So reads a blog by Dazhedaren about Wenchuan county in Sichuan, where more than 19,000 people have already been confirmed dead.

Wenchuan is in northwest Sichuan, about 160 km from the capital Chengdu. Before Monday's earthquake, its official population was 106,238.