Quake repairs in Sichuan costly

Sichuan province will invest 11.8 billion yuan ($1.78 billion) in the post-earthquake reconstruction of Jiuzhaigou, a scenic area on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list.

Located in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, the area, known for its transparent alpine lakes, was damaged in a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Aug 8.

Of the hefty investment, 859 million yuan will be used to restore the ecosystem, 3.15 billion to restore damaged sights in the scenic area, 5.63 billion to build infrastructure facilities, 1.95 billion to handle hidden risks of geological hazards in Jiuzhaigou and surrounding areas, and 202 million to build houses, according to the Sichuan government.