Classes have resumed in dozens of public schools in Yunnan province a week after a 6.6-magnitude hit the area and killed one person and injured hundreds.
According to CCTV News, schools have reopened in the town of Yongping, the earthquake's epicenter, on Monday even as school buildings were destroyed or damaged by the quake. To allow for the resumption of classes, soldiers built temporary classrooms at evacuation centers.
Students expressed delight in seeing the military build makeshift spaces for them.
"I am happy because I can see the liberation army," said a pupil.
"Because I like school . . . because school is pretty," said another.
More than 80 elementary and high schools reopened across the Jinggu County, where armed police forces, soldiers and volunteers had been working to restore normal life.
"Many of our soldiers are worn out as two consecutive days of working on building temporary shelters with no break," said Chen Xianhe, political commissar of armed police force of the Yunnan Pu'er Detachment.
"This morning, many of our soldiers lay on the ground just taking a few minutes of break, but they restart working immediately as they know just for those students, they have to complete the construction for them to have a beautiful classroom," Chen added.
The official also said people were excited to see the national flag raised at schools.
According to the provincial seismic bureau, over 100 elementary and high schools across the county were damaged by the earthquake. Some will be torn down completely in order to avoid secondary disasters, said Pu'er Vice Mayor Tong Shuwei.
This is the second earthquake to hit Yunnan province in two months. An earthquake in Ludian County killed 615 people on August 3.