Jane Macartney and Sophie Yu in Hongbai
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China stood still. Heads bowed, helmets in their hands, soldiers balanced on the rubble of a town devastated by last week’s earthquake. A mother whose child had died wept quietly in her van. Thousands gathered under the portrait of Chairman Mao in Tiananmen Square.
China’s 1.3 billion people stopped yesterday at 2.28pm — the exact time of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake a week ago — for three minutes of silence to grieve for as many as 70,000 people who are feared dead. In Hongbai, one of the worse-affected towns, a single siren wailed and the few dozen people still in the town pressed their car horns. A military helicopter hovered overhead, its emergency siren howling over the roar of its blades.
It is the first time that China has mourned its ordinary citizens: the last period of national mourning was for Mao Zedong in 1976.
Last week Zhu Mengxia was chatting with friends at the door of her store. Seconds later the force of the earthquake and her collapsing home hurled her into the street. She picked herself up and ran to Hongbai Middle School. Three hours later she pulled the body of her 14-year-old son from the flattened building. “I simply feel numb,” she said.
Flags across China were lowered to half-mast. President Hu Jintao flew back to Beijing after three days in the earthquake zone for the start of the period of national mourning. Bars, clubs and cinemas have closed. The Olympic torch relay through Chinese provinces will be suspended. Entertainment websites are redirecting users to commemorative sites.
In the main square of Chengdu, the Sichuan provincial capital, thousands held hands and women sobbed. Many carried white flowers made of folded tissue paper in a sign of mourning. They cried: “Fellow countrymen, go in peace”. Then they began a shout of “Go China”, punching their fists in the air.
Thousands stood in silence around the national flag in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. Shanghai’s casino-like stock market stopped. Traffic in Beijing stopped. Rescue teams stopped searching for bodies. Relatives seeking missing loved ones at a stadium housing refugees paused.
The devastation caused by an earthquake that China has described as its worst in more than half a century has brought together people from across the country to offer help. It is a rare display of patriotic emotion that the Government has allowed — even in Tiananmen Square.
As loudspeakers announced the end of the silence people rushed to the flagpole in the square holding up placards reading “Go China”. Then came roars of “Long live China!” and “Stay strong China!”. It was the first such unfettered outpouring of feeling in the square since student demonstrators gathered there.
In Hongbai a young army officer said: “My heart aches. It was so painful when children were dug out and parents cried beside the bodies. This mourning is very important.”
Amid the grief three people were pulled out alive but one woman died later. The rescue operation also suffered when landslides buried about 200 people en route to distant villages.
Only a few buildings still stand in Hongbai — a town whose livelihood depended on a phosphorous mine. Most of the miners died when it caved in. Their children were killed as they sat down for afternoon classes.
Almost every family in this region has lost relatives. Li Ming sobbed. “My baby was only 9. Such an outstanding child who was third in the class.”
Her son — an only child, like so many as a result of the one child family planning policy — was found the morning after the earthquake. “We were in despair until the soldiers came, and then I had such hope. Now it’s gone,” she said.
A book of condolence is at the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place, London, until Wednesday (21/05).
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The Chinese will never be defeated.
Steven Yeah, Shunde , China
May the dead rest in peace in the care of god, looking down and giving us the strenght to go on.
May the survivors be one and continue to live - 1 china, go china, forever china, beautiful china.
Takahara, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Now, you can see the real Chinese people.
Alan, Shanghai, China
Credits to President Hu and Premier Wen, wherever and whenever there are disasters, they are there at the forefront with their people, when Chinese people celebrated Chinese New Year on past New Year Days, they chose to visit poor families. They teach Chinese people to love one another
Cindy, Hong Kong,
Go China! Best wishes to Sichuan compatriots!
zoe, hangzhou, China
For those lives lost in earthquake, may they rest in peace.
I am so proud to be Chinese, we are strong, we are brave and we are united! Go China, Go Sichuan!
Frances , Brisbane, Australia
I love China, I love my people, I love the life, every life missed in this tragedy should be respected, thanks for every kind people from all of the world, your pray endowed us brave and strong and love again.
Mike, Yuyao, Ningbo, China
China i love you
i believe you can overcome the problem.
Cheers
Ada, Canton, China
i love china,love china govenment!
go ! china!
i comfident that out chinese can come over this disaster!
jing, beijing, china
GO CHINA!
Besh wishes to Sichuan!
qimingfu, Shaoyang, CHINA
You know what they say, the earthquake may have damaged many buildings and torn many families apart. However, it hasn't damaged the people's resolve. Rather, it's strengthened it. Let us work together to rebuild what's lost. I guess my donations to the Red Cross really have a purpose!
Alasdair, London, UK
Go China! Stay strong China!
You're the best!
zhangxu, wuhan , China
We will hand in hand in the following days,no matter how many difficulties will we face to.
Go China!
Fiona Zhang, Harbin, China
Go China. The world is witnessing the birth of the union of all Chinese to face all adversities. No matter how difficult or dangerous, they will be conquered.
May the people of Sichuan recover quickly and lives return to normal soon.
One World One dream
Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Pray for all the people whose died
Pray for all the survivors
Pray for all the people live in China
I cried, everyone cried and i think the god also cried.
Long live China!
Go China! Stay strong China!
Ha, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Long Live China!
Love you China for ever!
cloudy, Shantou, China
I have never been so proud that I am a Chinese...
We will value our lives even better....
May the dead peaceful in heaven.
Weiwei, Shenzhen, China
There's nothing to fear, as long as Chinese people hold hands together. No matter what others think of us, we use our most sincere action to let the world know-we are strong and we won't be defeated.
Kim lin, Guangzhou , China
Be strong China....!!
Our prayers with you always
God Bless You
barry, jakarta, Indonesia
Go China!
I believe that our China can come over this disaster and become better .
All persons come together and i am confident that we can bring the Sichuan Province back.
Come on!
Shiyan Su, Guangzhou, China
I'd never been so proud of my country.
Kim lin, Guangzhou , China
Go China!
You showed us the way
Your swift response, your bravery, your endurance, your devotion, and most important of all, your unity.
The earth moved you but you moved the world.
Rise above the task and bring Sichuan back.
May the departed rest in peace, may the survivors recover fast.
Love
Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Go China!
I believe that China will be better after these terrible earthquakes.
I love China!
I'am pround that I am a Chinese!
sharpei, Beijing, China
Facing natural disaster, our mankind is so fragile. But we have so many souls loving each other, helping each other, encouraging each other. So I think we can overcome. Let's be more persevering, more warm-hearted, and more beneficent!
He Kai, Zhengzhou, China
Hope the death rest in peace, the living grow out of pain.
Sunshine, Guangzhou, China
GO China!
Be brave and stay strong!
Martin, Beijing, China
Go China
Martin, Beijing, China
This is suppose to be a memorable and historical year in 2008.Something worths to be proud of ,something grievous mourning as well.
But let's hands by hands all together "fight the sky ,fight the fight "as Chairmen Mao said.
L. Jack, Beijing, China
We love China!
liu zhonghua, beijing, China
Pray for those who died and suffered in the earthquake!
Bless China!
wuyou, wuhan, China
May China overcomes these difficulties!
A more prosperous future is waiting for us!
Caleb Choi, Heyuan, China
I'm proud of my country ,I'm proud of that I am chinese.
go china,long live chein
derek, jilin, china
I would pay my tribute to all who lost their loved ones here across the pacific.
JarHead, Miami,
I believe that everything will be Ok.
I hope all the victims in this earthquake have better life.
I pray the deceased would find peace in heaven.
GO CHINA!
Mars, suzhou, China
I'm a Brit working in Shanghai and took part in the three-minute silence yesterday. It was very emotional and quite haunting. We all faced west to Sichuan, and listened in perfect silence as horns and sirens filled the air.
Stay Strong China!
Sarah Edson, Shanghai,
Go China, Long Live China. Dearest country.
Let's pray the soul of victim in the heaven will be fine, and the survivers will have new life as soon as possible. Thank you , everyone around the world who cares about the China earthquake.
Andy, Shandong, China
My heart break ,pray for the people who have suffered this earthquake.Long live China!
Rocky, zhengzhou, China
As an oversea Chinese I feel deeply sad seeing so many people lost their love ones and life in such a tragic way. The natural outpour of feeling and support from people all over China will help easing the pain.
John, Brussels, Belgium
go china ,long live china!!!
Andy, yongkang city, china
go china,long live china!
Andy, yongkang city, china
Indeed a sad and impressive day in China. The ordinary people really show their grief and their personal pride in their Nation. I am a Brit here in China but I say 'Go China' may peace be with you all
Derek Beardsall, Guangzhou, China
never give up!
we are chinese!
Li Weijie, Taiyuan, China
go China!
Give my best wishes to the people in Sichuan!
Through this disarst ,the Chinese people will be strongger and maturer
How can u imagine a 1.3 billion country stand still for 3 minutes, all the TVprogrammes and interenet covered nothing but the coverages of the relief work all day !
Staphanie, Wuhan, China
When shouting ''Go China'' in the dark,I realised for the first time that there had always been a thing called patriotism in my heart!
I never thought China meant so much to me until that very moment.
Go China!
Go Sichuan!
Janet, Zhejiang, China
Mourning for the dead and best wishes for the affected.
Where there is life, there is hope.
Cynthia, Kunming, China
China will get through the huge disaster with her strength and heavy will!
May my motherland be more prosperous!
Lisha, Canton, China
I'm proud of my country at this moment!!
We China people will never give up.
May the death have peace and the alive have bright future!
Go China Go!!!!
Steven, Tianjin, China
l pray for my myhomeland to strong!!!
- xumeng ,wuhan ,china
xumeng, wuhan, CHINA
Go China! Stay Strong!
Dido Yu, Changsha, China
Oh, May China be blessed forever!
Might you, dear readers, be kindly enought to pass on this message, to give a hand to the chinese in need?
China Appeals for Tents to House Earthquake Survivors (Update1)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=angclAdQdhdU&refer=home
Judy, JN, China
We love China!
Michael, Hangzhou,Zhejiang, China
let us remember all the death ,but it is more important for the lives to have a new life .I will keep the sorrow in mind .
panpan, zhejiang, China
Chinese people will never say die!
Go China!
Mu Lin, Heilongjiang, China
Go,China!Go,Sichuan!
Miao, China,
We will never lose our appointments in Sichuan!
zhaoyang, handan,
We will be together with you!
zhaoyang, handan,
may god bless china!
we will get through tribulation!
go china
wang shoulu, nanjing, china
We grieve for our fellow countrymen
Tears in heaven!
Go China!go strong and peaceful China,and World.
God bless everyone!
michael chen, shenzhen, China
I felt very pride to be a Chinese at that moment! Go China!
Young, Shenzhen, China
thanks to the world, and thanks to the people who pray for us.
matthew, nb, china
I hope China will get it over soon and rebuild homeland more beautifully with its hard-working people.
Tian Qingyou, Tianjin,
We are gratified that the whole world is with China although we are suffering such huge disaster.
Jane, Shenyang,
I love you China.
I am proud of being Chinese.
We will never give up.
Stay strong, China.
Zhenghui Cai, Chongqing , China
it is gratified that the whole world is with China at the moemnt although we are suffering the huge disaster.
Stay strong, Chinese!!
Jane, Shenyang,
My heart is so hurt. I have cride for those who dead in this disaster for many times. For me (and for most Chinese,I think),it is deep love for our country fellowmen more than patriotic emotion.
agaya, beijing, china
Stay strong,China!!
yanfang, Guangzhou, China
long live china. i think everything will going to be ok!
vbeiyi, shanghai , china
I felt my heart tighten in the three minutes of silence to grieve for victims of the earthquakes.
"Go China" !
Jian Wu, FuZhou, China
I pray that all survivors enjoy a speedy recovery, and that the deceased would find peace in heaven.
peter yang, beijing, china
Thank you,i'm chinese,i'm pride in good people of China.
Lily.Chang ,China
Lily, Shanghai, China
Go China!
Mia, Bath,
My heart pray and thoughts for the people who have suffered in these earthquakes is for peace, comfort and love.
Kim, Fort Worth, USA