Healing process always takes time

A large clock tower near Hanwang's city center was frozen at 2:28, the moment the May 12 earthquake struck Sichuan. The enormous timepiece had become a monument to a piece of time, reminding Hanwang of what it could hardly forget.

Many surrounding buildings were nothing more than concrete crumbs and gnarls of steel rod. Others still stood - barely. Yawning cracks zigzagged through them, and walls, pillars and ceilings slumped, teetered and bowed.

Nearby, visitors crinkled their foreheads at an outdoor photo exhibition displaying images of the quake's impact on the city.