Tales of heroes' valor crosses borders

Four months after the earthquake devastated Sichuan province, the moving story of how two Israeli students were saved from the epicenter continues with a new chapter.

Ma'ayan Segev and Anat Bilu, both in their 20s, were studying Chinese medicine in the provincial capital Chengdu and had visited Longxi-Hongkou National Nature Reserve near Dujiangyan when the disaster struck.

Buried in the debris, Segev and Bilu were moved to tears upon watching locals risking their lives to dig them out. They also sought medical assistance and returned to the main roads, finding an anxious Israeli team waiting for any news of their compatriots.

The story was widely reported in Israel, and the entire country was deeply touched by the scale of the disaster and the kindness shown to its citizens. The Israeli government gave China relief supplies worth $1.5 million in May.

On Sept 17, Israel enhanced its relationship with China by donating an additional $35,000 to help rebuild and re-supply the local clinic and elementary school in Hongkou county, Sichuan.

In May, Israel had pledged $10,000 specifically for Hongkou. "After receiving help from local people and medical staff, we decided to give something back to the same area where the injured Israelis stayed for some days," Israeli embassy spokesman Guy Kivetz says.

With many roads in the area still blocked, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Israeli embassy to not immediately return to Hongkou, so the embassy took time to plan an appropriate ceremony.

Also, an additional $25,000 was donated by Israeli businessman Avshalom Mann, chairman of the Articom company.

Since the story of Bilu and Segev's rescue was widely publicized in Israel, Mann was eager to help. Last week, he came to China to make his donation to the elementary school and clinic in person. Currently, the school is located in a temporary structure and needs to be completely rebuilt.

"On the roads you can still see devastation, but it is fundamentally a beautiful place," Kivetz says.

Kivetz and Israeli ambassador Amos Nadai found many of the individuals who helped Bilu and Segev, including Tian Tian, who stayed with the injured students, and Zhang Wei and his uncle, who escorted the women down the mountain roads. These people were given framed photographs with plaques to honor them.

Just as the story was famous in Israel, Sichuan's vice-governor says the story of the two Israeli students is well known in the province.

"People will talk about it for years," he told Israeli embassy representatives. "And it's a demonstration of the good relations between China and Israel."

(China Daily 09/22/2008 page10)