Quake-proof constructions provide safer housing for villagers

Located on the Alpide seismic belt, which runs from the Himalayas to the Mediterranean Sea, Yunnan is an earthquake-prone province in southwestern China.

As a consequence, quakes of magnitude 4 and 5 are not unusual in Biyang county, about 370 kilometers northwest of Kunming, the provincial capital.

The frequent earthquakes often cracked the walls of many traditional houses, leaving the residents concerned for their lives and the integrity of their property.