A photography exhibition commemorating the devastating earthquake that hit Wenchuan county in Sichuan 10 years ago was held at the European Parliament building in Brussels on Feb. 22.

On May 12, 2008, southwestern China’s Sichuan province was struck by a magnitude-8 earthquake with the epicenter located at Wenchuan county. Estimated as the 20th most damaging earthquake in history, it claimed more than 87,000 lives.

The photos on display showed that the disaster relief efforts delivered by various EU member countries including Denmark, France, Italy and Germany, with a theme of Jointly Cope with Natural Disasters for a Shared Future of Mankind.

Yang Xingping, Vice Governor of Sichuan, addressed the event saying that the Chinese will forever remember the helping hands offered by the European society.

The show also exhibited the great progress that has been made in the reconstruction works in the affected areas, and the remarkable recovery of the local economy.

Yang expressed the wish to deepen exchange with Europe. Zhang Ming, Chinese Ambassador to the European Union, said that the disaster tested and cemented the China-Europe friendship, with which the two sides will be able to widen cooperation and work together in creating a better future for the mankind.

Other attendees included Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Vice-President of the European Parliament; Nirj Deva, Chair of the China-EU Friendship Group of European Parliament; and Istvan Ujhelyi, a member of the European Parliament.