Left: Jiang Yuhang is rescued during the Wenchuan Earthquake in May 2008. Right: Jiang now works at the southeastern fire brigade in Kaili, Guizhou province. [Photos copied from China Daily] 
Left: A screenshot shows Xue Xiao being rescued from rubble. [Photo/CCTV] Right: Xue now works for COFCO Coca-Cola Beverage (Sichuan) Co Ltd. [Photo/IC]
Xue Xiao, a native of Mianzhu in Sichuan province, was trapped underneath the rubble of a collapsed building for 80 hours after the earthquake. His right arm was later amputated.
While rescuers pulled him free, the youngster said: “I want a cola, an icy one”, which gained him the nickname “Cola Boy”.
The comments brought relief and amusement to a country amid great sorrow.
In 2013, Xue earned an internship at Coca-Cola China in Shanghai, and his connection to the drink persists to this day — the 30-year-old works for COFCO Coca-Cola Beverage (Sichuan) Co Ltd.
Left: A file photo of Dai Guohong with the soldiers who saved him after the earthquake. Right: Dai is seen at his hometown in Beichuan Qiang autonomous county of Sichuan province on May 12, 2017. [Photos/VCG] 
Left: Cheng Qiang holds a banner reading “I want to become an airborne trooper when I grow up” as airborne troops leave after their rescue work in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. [Photo/81.cn] Right: Cheng participates in an exercise for the military parade of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2019. [Photo/CCTV] 
Left: A file photo shows Li Xinyun with her right hand amputated. Right: Li holds her college admission letter from Central China Normal University. [Photos provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
From earthquake victim to lifesaver
On May 12, 2008, 20-year-old Jiang Yuhang was buried in ruins during the Wenchuan Earthquake. After being trapped for 125 hours, Jiang was rescued by firefighters from Shanghai.
“It was the firefighters who gave me a second life. So, I was eager to become one of them,” he said.
At the end of 2018, his wish came true and he became a firefighter, joining the same team that saved his life.
On May 12, 2008, a devastating earthquake hit Wenchuan in Southwest China’s Sichuan province.
In the 13 years since, some of the survivors have risen from adversity and started brand new lives. Let’s see their stories.