$1.4b plea to rebuild Qiang's treasures

CHENGDU: Quake-hit Sichuan province is seeking a total of 9.4 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) for cultural protection, tourism and general reconstruction, local authorities said over the weekend.

A total of 7.9 billion yuan is needed to restore and protect the Qiang culture in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture.

The needs were made known at an international cooperation conference currently being held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Business representatives from more than 20 countries are attending the conference.