Premier Li Keqiang stood in silent tribute on April 24 in a memorial ceremony held in Ya’an, Sichuan province, where the 7.0-magnitude Lushan earthquake occurred three years ago.

He walked slowly onto the staircase in front of the memorial museum in Lushan county, bent down and placed a flower on the memorial table. The names of those people killed by the earthquake are engraved on the table.

The Premier bowed in front of the memorial table and paid a silent tribute for a minute.

He arrived in Ya’an on April 24 to inspect the reconstruction work of the quake-hit region.

Seeing that the farmers are working in their kiwi fruit farmland and their houses have already been rebuilt in Duogong township of Tianquan county, the Premier praised the reconstruction work, saying that it is “really beautiful” there.

The Lushan earthquake, which occurred on April 20, 2013, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and left more than 196 people dead and 21 others missing.

It was the first serious natural disaster that the Premier faced after he was elected as Premier in March 2013. His plane headed to the quake-jolted region only five hours after the disaster occurred.