Li Kaixin, a pupil who survived a school bus accident in Fengxian county, Jiangsu province, on Dec 12, recovers in hospital. The accident, which claimed the lives of 15 children, triggered a national campaign to improve school bus safety.??[Photo/Xinhua]

Our staff reporters revisit the major stories of an extraordinary 12 months.

Last year was a big one for the Communist Party of China (CPC), which celebrated its 90th anniversary on July 1. It noted significant economic achievements and looked ahead to further fiscal growth and social development.

In his keynote speech at the grand anniversary ceremony, President Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, stressed that the country would continue to carry out reform and opening-up. He also said that it remained committed to pursuing scientific development and enhancing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.

The Party will intensify its efforts to combat corruption, he said, calling it crucial to gaining popular support for the Party and ensuring its very survival. It will also actively, yet prudently, carry out political structural reform, Hu said.

China's economy has become the world's second largest, and its foreign exchange reserves total $3 trillion. The country also boasts the world's largest banking, petroleum and telecom companies by market value.

About four months before the celebration, the government passed the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), which aims to address economic inequality and create an environment for more sustainable growth. Priorities also include increasing domestic consumption and improving social safety nets.

Despite China's economic and social gains, the country went through some tough experiences: Train and school bus crashes left scores dead. Sailors were murdered. Cabbages and cotton highlighted problems in agriculture.

However, environmentalists worked to protect endangered dolphins and city trees. And grassroots citizens exercised their petition rights.

These are a handful of the stories China Daily brought to you last year. Today, Cover Story revisits some of the main characters.

Checking in on people, stories from 2011

Roughly five months following the bullet train crash, Song Hua still has trouble drinking water and uttering clear words. She cannot walk on her own. Her face shows no expression.[Read more]

Nine months after the people of Nanjing took to the streets to protect their beloved plane trees from removal for subway expansion, some trees are sporting colorful turtleneck sweaters.[Read more]

Li Rulin from Hengshan village, Shanxi province, sought help from the township's petition office early last spring about faulty seeds.[Read more]

The life of Yangtze finless porpoises did not get better in 2011, despite growing public awareness to save the freshwater dolphin.[Read more]

Lu Wenguo, the general manager of Hualong Storage Co in Shouguang, stored 1,000 tons of cabbage last year for 0.7 yuan (11 US cents) a kilogram. [Read more]

Six days after a school bus accident last month killed 15 children in Fengxian county, the body of 10-year-old Zhao Xuanxuan was laid to rest by sobbing family members.[Read more]

Three months have passed since 13 Chinese sailors were shot to death on the Mekong River, and Yang Duoxu still is shrouded by the loss of her husband, Wang Guichao.[Read more]

The cotton growers here suffered a harsh harvest in 2011. Labor costs increased by about 40 percent from 2010, while the price of cotton dropped 22 percent.[Read more]