This is the former library of North China University of Science and Technology, one of the most important historical remnants of the Tangshan earthquake. On July 28, 1976, a severe earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale devastated North China, taking hundreds of thousands of lives in an instant. Sitting at the epicenter of the quake, Tangshan, at the time a modern industrial city, suffered severe damage and heavy casualties. In 1980, the abandoned library was listed as one of the key preserved sites by the State Council to remind citizens of the terrible disaster that rocked the city. Photos: Chen Heying/GT

Photos: Chen Heying/GT

Photos: Chen Heying/GT

Photos: Chen Heying/GT

Photos: Chen Heying/GT