Located in Longmenshan Town to the north of Pengzhou, Sichuan Province, the Double Valley Scenic Spot was damaged beyond recognition in the twinkling of an eye when the massive earthquake struck Wenchuan.

　　After the earthquake, the main roads leading to the Double Valley Scenic Spot were badly damaged, making it extremely difficult for the local government and people to enter the mountains to carry out rescue-and-relief operations. What was the disaster situation in the mountains, and how many people had survived? The people outside the valley felt horrible anxiety for the safety of people in the valley.

　　At this crucial moment, 3,600 officer and men of a mechanized infantry brigade of the Jinan Military Area Command headed for Longmenshan day and night and arrived at their destination on the morning of May 15 after covering a distance of 1, 600 km.

　　"We will never give up a single village or a stranded person!" said a group army commander who was also the commanding officer of the relief troops in Pengzhou. He ordered the mechanized infantry brigade to take the Double Valley Scenic Spot as the main "battlefield" in their rescue operation.

　　Before darkness fell on May 16, two columns of the brigade reached Yanziyanwo and Huilonggou separately, 25 kilometers to the top of Yinchang Valley, and rescued 43 survivors and treated 165 injured people, creating favorable conditions for the final "decisive battle" of the search-and-rescue operations.

　　"We must throw in more troops and make every effort to search for people whose lives have stretched to the limit", said the group army commander when he personally carry out combat mobilization on the site on the morning of May 17. After that, 3,600 officers and men were organized into several groups to enter the Double Valley to carry out dragnet search-and-rescue operations.

　　By Huang Chao, Meng Bin and Zuo Qichao

　　(June 5, PLA Daily)                                               Editor: Fan Aifeng