People buy "ghost money" as offerings for their loved ones who lost their lives in the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. Photo: An Baijie

Two years after the Wenchuan earthquake which left some 87,000 people dead or missing, former residents have been going back to visit Beichuan, one of the most severely afftected towns in the disaster, to remember their lost loved ones. They have to deal with the pain a s well as many challenges in their daily lives.

A huge rock which rolled down from a mountain during the devastating earthquake now rests at the roadside near the old town of Beichuan County. Photo: An Baijie

People perform rituals for the deceased.  Photo: An Baijie

A woman carries a child on her back. The sign in the background calls on residents to grieve for the victims of the Wenchuan quake. Photo: An Baijie

A building that was badly damaged in the earthquake remains standing, as a stark reminder of the tragedy that affected so many residents.  Photo: An Baijie

Buildings that were destroyed by the devastating earthquake. Photo: An Baijie

Jiayu is the second child of a man surnamed Fan who is seen here holding her. His first child was a 10-year old boy who died in the Wenchuan quake. Fan says that his family views Jiayu, a girl, as a gift, and that she helps them deal with the pain of losing their son. Photo: An Baijie

The mountain remains as it was after the quake two years ago, and it looks as if the landslide just happened.  Photo: An Baijie

Volunteers arrive in Beichuan to help with the continuing clean-up and provide comfort to those who lost family members and friends. Photo: An Baijie