'I treat it as a mission; I must contribute as much as I can'

Song Zhiyong, a 36-year-old farmer from Tangshan , Hebei province, confronted the stuff of nightmares when he joined the rescue effort in Sichuan on Wednesday.

Mr Song had long been troubled by the tales his family and friends would tell about the 7.8 magnitude Tangshan earthquake, which killed more than 240,000 people in 1976. Even though he was only four years old at the time, the stories he had heard ensured the disaster loomed large in his mind.

When he learned a quake of the same magnitude had rocked Sichuan on Monday, he knew he had to help.

'They must suffer a lot,' he said.

He travelled by train and bus to Sichuan, passing through Beijing, Zhengzhou , Xian , Chengdu and Mianyang before arriving in Beichuan county. He opted for the cheapest modes of transport, without noticing that at 5,300 yuan, his journey ended up costing more than if he had flown.

'When I first arrived in Beichuan, I saved three children and helped to transport eight injured people and the bodies of five children,' he said.