A terrible earthquake hit southwestern China on May 12. Over 20,000 are confirmed dead, and tens of thousands are missing. Our hearts go out to those afflicted by this tragedy. Our best wishes go to the Chinese people as they search for survivors, provide aid to the injured and homeless, and rebuild from this natural disaster.
If you wish to make a donation to help with recovery efforts, the American Red Cross can channel donations to the Red Cross Society of China. This article from the Wall Street Journal discusses how relief efforts work in China.
Several people have asked if I visited this part of China last fall. The answer is no. I visited northeast China, while the earthquake was in southwest China. The closest I got to the quake area was Jinan (capital of the Shandong province), about 850 miles away from the epicenter near Chengdu (capital of the Sichuan province). (distance calculator)
Click here for maps of where I visited in China (click on either map to enlarge).
UPDATE: Changed "central" to "southwestern." See comments. Over 32,000 confirmed dead (5/18).
