StrangethingswerehappeninginthecountrysideinnortheastHebeiProvince.Forthreedaysthewaterinthevillagewellsroseandfell,roseandfell.Farmers'wivesnoticed

　　thatthewellwallshaddeepcracksinthem.Asmellygascameoutofthe

　　cracks.Inthefarmyards,thechickensandeventhepigsweretoonervousto

　　eat.Miceranoutofthefieldslookingforplacestohide.Fishjumpedoutof

　　bowlsandponds.Atabout3:011amonJuly28.1976,peoplesawbrightlights

　　inthesky.ThesoundofplanescouldbeheardoutsideTangshanevenwhenno

　　planeswereinthesky.Inthecity,thewaterpipesinsomebuildingscracked

　　andburst.Buttheonemillionpeopleofthecity,whothoughtlittleofthese

　　events,wenttobedasusualthatnight.

　　At3:42ameverythingbegantoshake.Itseemedthattheworldwasatanend!Elevenkilometers

　　directlybelowthecitythegreatestearthquakeofthe20thcenturybegan.It

　　washeardinBeijing,whichisonehundredkilometersaway.One-thirdofthe

　　nationfeltit.Ahugecrackthatwaseightkilometerslongandthirtymeters

　　widecutacrosshouses,roadsandcanals.Steamburstfromholesintheground.

　　Hardhillsofrockbecameriversofdirt.Infifteenterriblesecondsalarge

　　citylayinruins.Two-thirdsofthepeoplediedorwereinjuredduringthe

　　earthquake.Thousandsoffamilieswerekilledandmanychildrenwereleft

　　withoutparents.Thenumberofpeoplewhowerekilledorinjuredreachedmore

　　than400.000.

　　Buthowcouldthe

　　survivorsbelieveitwasnatural?Everywheretheylookednearlyeverythingwas

　　destroyed.Allofthecity'shospitals,75%ofitsfactoriesandbuildingsand

　　90%ofitshomesweregone.Brickscoveredthegroundlikeredautumnleaves.

　　Nowind,however,couldblowthemaway.Twodamsfellandmostofthebridges

　　alsofellorwerenotsafefortraveling.Therailwaytrackswerenowuseless

　　piecesofsteel.Tensofthousandsofcowswouldnevergivemilkagain.Halfa

　　millionpigsandmillionsofchickenshaddied.Sandnowfilledthewells

　　insteadofwater.Peoplewereshocked.Then,laterthatafternoon,anotherbig

　　quakeshookTangshan.Someoftherescueworkersanddoctorsweretrappedunder

　　theruins.Morebuildingsfelldown.Water,food,andelectricitywerehardto

　　get.Peoplebegantowonderhowlongthedisasterwouldlast.

　　Allhopewasnot

　　lost.Thearmysent150.000soldierstoTangshantohelptherescueworkers.

　　Hundredsofthousandsofpeoplewerehelped.Thearmyorganizedteamstodig

　　outthosewhoweretrappedandtoburythedead.Tothenorthofthecity,most

　　ofthe10.000minerswererescuedfromthecoalmines.Workersbuiltshelters

　　forsurvivorswhosehomeshadbeendestroyed.Freshwaterwastakentothecitybytrain,truckandplane.Slowly,thecitybegantobreatheagain.