On May 19, China began a three-day national mourning to display the respect to the victims in the deadly Sichuan Earthquake that struck the country's southwest on May 12.
Millions of people in China and overseas stood in silence for three minutes from 0728 GMT Monday, the exact time when the earthquake occurred 7 days ago. Across the country, air raid sirens, automobiles, trains, and ships horns wailed in grief. During the three-day period, public entertainments would be cancelled and the torch relay for the Beijing Olympic Games suspended.
Here in Denmark, the Chinese Embassy also held a mourning ceremony attended by all the staff members. The national flag was lowered to half-mast, and a three-minute remembrance of grief was conducted. A condolence book is now opened at the Embassy for the Danish public on May 19, 20 and 21 from 10.00-12.00 and 14.30-18.00.
It is the first time ever for China to set a national mourning day to lament ordinary citizens deceased in a natural disaster.
The 8.0 magnitude quake in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12 has resulted in heavy loss of lives and property. The death toll of the quake has risen to 34, 073 as of May 19, and would possibly exceed 50,000, as estimated by the authorities. 245,108 people has been wounded, as counted May 19. About 4.8 million people have lost their homes. In Sichuan alone, 10 million people were directly affected by the quake.
The Chinese government as well as NGOs has since the quake made continuous efforts in rescue and relief work. They were joined by rescue teams from Japan, Russia, Korea and Singapore.
More countries has donated funds and supplies to the quake victims. Denmark has by now offered 750,000 DKK through Danish Red Cross and 250,000 through Save the Children. Donations from home and abroad by now topped 10.8 billion Yuan (about $1.5 billion).
