Real challenges for rebuilding quake zone

On August 12, a plan for reconstructing the areas struck by the May 12 earthquake in Wenchuan was released for public review. As the drafters of the plan put it, they welcome comments and suggestions from people in and out of the country.

According to primary estimates in the plan, the reconstruction would cost a total sum of 1 trillion yuan ($147 billion).

The sum is roughly the same as the gross domestic product (GDP) of Sichuan province in 2007. It is also about 20 percent of all the government income last year. A huge wealth even compared with our increasingly stronger economy.