Xu Rongxing was pulled out by Russian rescuers from the rubble of a building after more than five days on May 17. The retired Dujiangyan tourism bureau worker was weak and exhausted for sure, but she didn't talk about that.

Instead, the 61-year-old exclaimed: "Gosh, what a violent quake! Did it knock me out of my country?"

People of Sichuan province are known for their puckish, lively and humorous demeanor. But the fact that they have maintained it at the height of a tragedy like the earthquake speaks volumes of their character.