Letter from Lhasa: Hope amid tears -- rebuilding lives after the Xizang quake

by Huang Yaoman

LHASA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Over the past five days, in the wake of a strong earthquake that struck Dingri County in Xizang Autonomous Region, I have witnessed countless tears -- both my own and those of others -- amid the ongoing relief efforts.

At 9:05 a.m. on Jan. 7, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Dingri, home to the northern base camp of world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma. As soon