It's up at 5:00 AM, to bed after midnight for Tang Qiang.

The 33-year-old signed up to help his company, Beijing Urban Construction Road and Bridge Engineering Corporation, with reconstruction work in Sichuan Province, an area ravaged by the May 12 earthquake.

It's Tang's job to walk 78 km up and down Guangqing road, a lifeline which has to be rebuilt.

"I saw the twisted road and I knew the quake was very terrible," said Tang.

Guangqing road is a major route in Shifang County. It connects six badly damaged townships, including Hongbai, Yinghua and Luoshui.

As chief engineer of the project, Tang is responsible for the reconstruction plan and overseeing its technical implementation. To do that, he has to walk along the road looking for any problems.

"I could have one day rest but only if it's raining," he said.

Tang has been with the project for three months, August to October. He finally gets to go home to Beijing as part of the road is now complete, 45 km stretching from Guangyuan to Luoshui township.

There are thousands of people like Tang doing quake relief work and reconstruction. Some volunteer, others are sent by the government.

According to a work plan released by China's State Council, 19 provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Tianjin, are partnering with Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces offering financial or work relief.

For example, Beijing is partnered with Shifang County. In the next three years, the capital city will spend about 7 billion yuan (about US$1 billion) on reconstruction. There are currently plans for eight new schools, two hospitals, 600 low-rent apartments and several roads.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2008)