by Xinhua writer Zhou Yan

China began a three-day national mourning on Monday, a week after an 8.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the southwestern Sichuan Province, to lament over its heavy loss of lives.

The national flag at Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing flies at half mast, public entertainment is suspended and the Chinese will stand three minutes in silence starting at 2:28 pm, the moment of the devastating quake.

The Olympic torch relay through China will also be suspended for three days to lament over the quake dead, which was nearing 32,500 as of 2 pm on Sunday. The final death toll was estimated at 50,000.

As far as we can remember, this is the first ever national mourning ever held for victims of natural disasters since the People's Republic was founded in 1949.

Throughout China's history, the practice has been reserved for emperors and top state leaders. The most recent national mourning many Chinese remember was held for the late leader Deng Xiaoping in 1997.

National mourning is probably the best phrase to describe the Chinese sentiment in the past week, as millions weep over the loss of lives, open wallets to donate cash or relief material, roll up sleeves to donate blood and pray for more people to survive.

The Chinese government's decision on Sunday to mark national mourning day was welcomed by the public, who had echoed a Fudan University professor's suggestion for the whole nation to mourn over the quake dead.

Prof. Ge Jianxiong's proposal was carried on Friday's Southern Metropolitan News. On the same day, the Peruvian government passed a supreme ordinance to set May 19th as a national mourning day for the Chinese quake victims.

China's own national mourning day is more than an adoption of international practice, but also a display of humanism and respect for life in a more open civil society.

Out of humanism and respect for life, the country has spared no efforts in saving lives in the past week.

"We have to make every effort to save life as long as there's still the slightest hope," these words were repeated time and again by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

A People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldier, who was injured and was at risk of losing his own life in the strong aftershocks, cried out "please let me stay. I can save one more life".

A volunteer promised he would not leave as long as there was still sign of life in the ruins.

Out of respect for life, the Chinese have created miracles. Lives were still saved on Sunday, more than 146 hours after the quake.

Out of their respect for life, the Chinese have been closely following the rescue work, weeping over the climbing death toll and relieved at every life saved.

When the 7.8-magnitude rocked Tangshan, a populous city near Beijing, in 1976, even cameras were banned there. The quake took 242,000 lives. And the figure was kept strictly confidential until three years later.

Memories of China's past still cling to us as we bow our heads and mourn for the dead.

The Chinese believe a deceased person's soul would wander in the first week after his death. On the seventh day, his soul would go home for one last time before leaving for Heaven.

May all those who have died in the quake, men and women, young and old, are scared no more, feel pain no more and rest in peace.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2008)