Ten years after the earthquake in China's Sichuan region

Deng Haiyang — now aged 27 — was buried under the rubble of a wrecked school building for 22 hours until he was rescued. His legs later needed to be amputated. However, Deng proved himself to be strong-willed. He gained his university entrance qualification, completed his studies and established himself as self-employed. But many of his classmates didn't survive the earthquake.

The official tally of buildings destroyed was put at 6,898. Many like the one pictured broke apart. Bereaved families suspect that corruption and shoddy construction was at fault. Authorities launched an inquiry. Deficient buildings in China are called "Okara," named after the soft mass left over during the production of tofu.

The official death toll was put at 69,227 in mid-2008, of which 5194 were children. These official figures have not been revised in the past decade. But civil activists in China significantly doubt the official count and lobby for an independent inquiry into the aftermath of the disaster. Those calls have so far fallen upon deaf ears.

The internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei traveled with volunteers to the disaster area and collected the names of the children killed. In August 2008 he was brutally beaten by police while doing research. One year later he had to undergo surgery in Germany because of a brain hemorrhage. "I almost died," he said. The use of force by police against the artist has never been investigated.

In some areas near the epicenter of the earthquakes, the surroundings (right) still look as they did in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake 10 years ago (left). The red and white body bag (bottom right on the photo) has been removed, meanwhile. Reconstruction doesn't seem to be moving forward everywhere at the speed China is usually known for.

After the earthquake, China collected more than 76 billion yuan (around €10 billion, $12 billion) in the international donations, a record sum. However, people living in the affected areas doubt that enough money went towards reconstruction. Buildings like the one pictured above are still waiting to be demolished.

Farmer Ma Qingan has been going through the same door every time for the past 10 years to travel to the market. His house in the background looks just as did immediately after the earthquake. Printed along the door frame are Chinese good luck phrases that have turned yellow over the years. Written on the left it says "Good governance, harmonious coexistence," and on the right "longevity."

An old man mourns by the grave of his relatives, located far away from public sight. Wenzhuan County, the region worst hit by the earthquake, declared the 10-years anniversary as a "Day of Gratitude." Many families of the victims see it as anything but.