Twenty newly married couples who met after being widowed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake rekindled romance in a government-sponsored trip to south China's island province of Hainan on Wednesday.

The trip aimed to bring them confidence, strength and consolation, said Jia Ya, a senior official with the Beichuan County government, which sponsored the two-day vacation.

Walking along the beach hand in hand at Wuzhizhou Island resort, each couple discussed plans to restart their lives.

"It is the first time we have seen the sea and it's very calming," said Zhao Qin, one of the survivors, holding his wife Bu Zhengying's hand.

"Now it is time to move on," he added.

Zhao said the earthquake experience had taught him how to better understand life and how to cherish what life brings.

The couples tied the knot at a group wedding three days ago, which was also funded by the local government.

The service was conducted according to the customs of the Qiang ethnic group in Beichuan, which lost two-thirds of its population in the earthquake.

"We are grateful to the government for what it had done for us," said 34-year-old Wei Guangwu. "The trip to Hainan is meaningful and memorable."

"I am glad for the couples, who lost and retrieved their love after trials and tribulations," said Jia Ya.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2009)