The Balagezong scenic spot in Shangri-La, Southwest China's Yunnan province, will reopen to the public after 16 months of suspension after a magnitude-5.1 earthquake struck in 2013, Yunnan.net reported.

The Balagezong scenic spot, also known as Shangri-La's "small Jiangnan", was constructed in 1999 and started trail operations in 2007. It is 58 kilometers away from Shangri-La county with an altitude of 2,200 meters above sea level. Balagezong scenic spot consist mainly of gorge landscapes. The scenic spot attracts tourists with its natural beauty and ethnic culture customs.

In August 2013, a magnitude-5.1 quake hit Yunnan's Shangri-La county and caused falling rocks and disrupted road traffic. The scenic spot was closed due to tourism facilities disruption. The earthquake has caused a loss of 260 million yuan ($41.93 million) to the scenic spot. The reconstruction project has taken almost seven months with an investment of 120 million yuan.

"The earthquake destroyed half of my life's work. When we started construction of the road, we suffered great pressure. When I saw that the road was destroyed, my heart was broken. But I believe that we will construct a new road since we still have that dream," said the director of Balagezong scenic spot.

To date, the construction of roads in the Balagezong scenic spot has finished. Meanwhile, the facilities construction of Balagezong has been promoted, aiming to construct a 5A level scenic spot.

Source: China Daily