Experts: Beauty will return after quake

CHENGDU - Most of the lakes in quake-hit Jiuzhaigou National Park remain undamaged, although it may take a long time for the UNESCO World Heritage site to recover from last week's earthquake, geologists said on Tuesday. The national park contains around 20 tourist sites and is known for its spectacular waterfalls, lush forests, serene plateau lakes and karst rock formations.

A magnitude-7.0 quake rocked Jiuzhaigou county on Aug 8, and many feared the region's breathtaking scenery had been destroyed forever.

The local government previously said that Nuorilang Waterfall, one of the park's best-known sites, had collapsed and that water had drained from Sparkling Lake. However, recent aerial images taken by drones showed that most of the lakes in the park had suffered little damage.