Before May 12, the name Wenchuan had little or no meaning to most Chinese, let alone the rest of the world. But, overnight, all that changed. For me, Wenchuan brought back many memories from the 1980s, in particular 1981 and 1988. The county which is now known to be the epicentre of the 8-magnitude earthquake is home to the Qiang minority. The Qiang are considered one of China's oldest minorities and closely related to the Tibetans who inhabit the same county and neighbouring areas.
For those of us who are involved in wildlife conservation, in particular the giant panda, we are familiar with the Wolong Nature Reserve - from where many of China's friendly ambassadors to foreign countries have come. Wolong is within the boundaries of Wenchuan. I first visited the reserve in 1981, and saw the research and breeding programme.
Anyone wanting to drive from Chengdu to the famous scenic world heritage sites at Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou had to pass through Wenchuan. I did, also in 1981, when I took my first photo of a young Qiang woman in her national costume. In those days, when resources and choices were few and salaries meagre, Wenchuan was famous only for its fine apples.
During a return visit, in 1988, I spent a long day hiking up a precipitous mountain in the north of the county and visited an isolated Qiang village.
I stayed overnight at a modest home, to photograph and document on video Qiang rituals and dances. I recall my host family's very simple lifestyle, but they shared most generously anything they had. Stuffing my bowl with the fattest piece of pork was the simplest but most illustrious way to show their hospitality.
Houses were built with stone quarried from neighbouring hills, with an occasional defence tower, making the village look like a fortified community. These fortresses are now known to scholars interested in Qiang and Tibetan architecture. With this devastating earthquake, my heart and thoughts go out to the villagers, and I wonder how they could survive when their village is sandwiched between the cracks and crevices of high mountains.