As I've said, Chengdu wasn't hit all that hard compared to the smaller villages closer to the epicenter. However, I'm hearing a lot of travellers who were planning to visit Sichuan provinces say things like "no, I should stay away, I'd just drain resources."

Actually, most of the tourist circuit is just fine. The biggest worry for a lot of people here is that the flow of visitors has dried up completely. Just got back from Emei Shan, one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, and there was hardly anyone else there. That doesn't happen in China. There are 1.3 billion people here, millions of travellers at any given time, and this is high season.

So in the unlikely event this reaches any travellers that are trying to make a decision: come. Spend your money on local food and board. Try and volunteer if you like, although I don't know anyone that's been able to, they're flooded with people who want to volunteer. But come. People will be happy to see you.