The dilemma

Post-quake rebuilding in Yushu, however, is far from easy.

Yang Baojun, chief architect of the rebuilding, could not remember how many times he had flown between Beijing and Yushu over the past year.

The deputy president of the Beijing-based China Academy of Urban Planning and Design described Yushu's rebuilding as "far more complicated and difficult than anyone could imagine."

Yang and his colleagues have visited many Tibetan homes over the past year, hoping the new communities would meet the locals' expectations.

"One family was strongly against moving into apartment buildings, because it would be difficult for the elderly people to climb up," he said.

But in the densely-populated Gyegu, it was impossible for every family to own a house, he said.

Meanwhile, higher labor costs and soaring prices for building materials were also potential obstacles in the post-quake rebuilding, said Hao Qishu, an official with Qinghai provincial development and reform commission.

When the rehousing plan was mapped out last year, calculations were based on 2,100 yuan per square meter in urban areas and 1,900 yuan per in rural areas, said Hao.

"It was slightly higher than the average cost of the time, but price hikes for building materials and transportation over the past months may eventually cause a shortage of funds," he said.

Worker shortages in the plateau region also caused labor cost to soar from 60-80 yuan a day to 200-300 yuan a day.

He said the current cost for rehousing would be at least 2,800 yuan per square meter.

Yushu's rebuilding is financed wholly by the government, unlike that of Wenchuan, which was co-sponsored by the government and businesses.

For construction workers from other parts of the country, scarcity of water, oxygen and proper roads also poses challenges.

As construction speeds up in spring, the road to and from Gyegu is often congested, said Meng Fanlong, an executive from a Beijing construction firm. "In the busiest season, 50,000 to 60,000 workers will be working at the same time. Traffic and supplies can be a real problem."

This year would be crucial for Yushu's rebuilding, said Meng. "It will put the wisdom and governance capacity of governments at different levels to test."