Twenty-two children from Sichuan province brought to Hong Kong for a 6-day tour by China Travel Service in a bid to help them get through the rough time visited the Disneyland yesterday.

The children, aged eight to 17, lost at least one parent to the earthquake.

They are from Chifeng town of Pengzhou, one of the worst-hit areas.

They had a good time at the theme park where they learnt how to draw Mickey Mouse and took the "It's A Small World" boat ride among other activities.

"Coming to a big city like Hong Kong has been my dream," said 14-year-old Dong Ting, whose mother perished in the earthquake.

"I was scared during the many aftershocks. But I'm not scared anymore because we are cared for by so many people," she said.

Zheng Shiliang, 17, said the city is more beautiful than it is on TV.

"I can feel the care that people have for us since I arrived here Tuesday night," he said.

"I will share what I saw in Hong Kong when I return home," he said.

Zheng's father died when he was 7 and he lost his mother to the May 12 earthquake.

"The earthquake has a big psychological impact on the children," said Chifeng Town Middle School headmaster Deng Yonghong.

"We hope to cheer the children up and broaden their horizons by bringing them to Hong Kong," he said.

Chifeng Town Primary School headmaster Wu Wenfu said, "The children are still living in the shadow of the disaster."

Before returning home on Sunday, the children will visit local scenic spots like the Peak, Repulse Bay and Ocean Park and will exchange with local students.

(HK Edition 07/10/2008 page1)