Nation in grief

On Sunday, China announced a rare three-day national mourning in tribute to the quake victims. The national flags will be kept at half-mast and all public amusements will be suspended. The Olympic torch relay will also be suspended during the period. In less than a week after the deadly earthquake, the Chinese nation has been pulsating with the lives of the quake-hit victims.

More than 110,000 soldiers and armed policemen were in rescue operations, with the help of thousands of volunteers who swarmed the areas to help in any way they could.

Across the country, Chinese people opened their wallets and sympathized with the people affected in the disaster. Kindergarten children, beggars and even prisoners made their donations.

In the capital Beijing, people lined streets to donate blood. In Chengdu, residents and volunteers flooded to stores to buy milk powder and clothes for children orphaned by the quake. In northwest China's Gansu province, two villagers carried four tonnes of eggs to the quake-jolted areas, while people in Xinjiang baked pancakes to be trucked to Sichuan.

Chinese netizens hustled to translate handbooks written in foreign languages to provide information on the rescue and psychological intervention.

While the rescue work in the quake-affected areas is still difficult and epidemic and floods risks are high, the country is making all-out efforts to fight the disaster.

"The Chinese nation has a honored tradition of fighting in solidarity and succumbing to no hardship or difficulties," said President Hu Jintao in Sichuan.

"As long as the whole Party, the whole army and our people unite in strength and engage in brave fighting, we will get over all kinds of difficulties and win the battle," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2008)