The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is staging an exhibition titled "Sichuan Image - A Journey of Hope" to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake. The exhibition will show vivid images of post-quake Sichuan through photo stories by students of Yingxiu Primary School as well as a documentary of social workers serving in the quake-stricken district.

On display are 40 photo stories produced by students of Yingxiu Primary School in Wenchuan, the epic centre of the 512 earthquake. These photo stories, entitled "Magical Yingxiu" will be on a roving exhibition in Hong Kong, Sichuan and the UK. In co-ordinating this photo story roving exhibition, Dr Timothy Sim, Assistant Professor of PolyU's Department of Applied Social Sciences, said he is pleasantly surprised to learn that through this activity Sichuan students have undergone metamorphosis. "They had an indomitable spirit towards post-quake reconstruction and expressed care for their family, teachers and fellow students", he said.

Another highlight of the exhibition at PolyU is a 30-minute documentary titled "My soul searching journey at the age of 22". The documentary was filmed during 2009-2011, with the director documenting the experiences and personal growth of some 30 social workers who took part in PolyU's "Sichuan 5.12 Disaster Brings Transcendence" life education project in quake-stricken schools and in the rural community.

On the lighter side, PolyU's School of Nursing has developed computer games for visitors to test their basic earthquake survival skills. The exhibition will also introduce the vision and work of the "Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction" jointly established by Sichuan University and PolyU.

The "Sichuan Image - A Journey of Hope" roving exhibition will premiere at the Exhibition Hall of PolyU's Pao Yue-Kong Library. The photo story roving exhibition will then move to the Exchange Square in Central. The next stops will be in Sichuan University, Yingxiu Primary School and Durham University, United Kingdom. The detailed schedule is as follows:

PolyU has been actively involved in the 5.12 post-quake reconstruction work in Sichuan. Apart from launching a campus-wide fund-raising campaign, it also teamed up with a number of NGOs and professional bodies to support relief work in the quake-stricken region. Currently, PolyU is collaborating with Sichuan University to establish China's first "Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction", bringing its programmes and expertise to support the reconstruction and sustainable development of Sichuan Province.

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