举国悼念 愿逝者安息 生者坚强

2010年4月21日举行全国哀悼活动，以表达对青海玉树地震遇难同胞的深切哀悼，全国各地下半旗志哀，并暂停一切不相宜的娱乐活动。全国各族人民在地震发生的时刻共同默哀，以此表达举国之沉痛哀思，祈愿所有不幸的生命得到安息。让我们一起，对在灾害中逝世的人表示悼念！

Relief workers in orange uniforms at Jiegu Town of Yushu, the epicenter, were joined by local people Wednesday morning to pay a silent tribute at a debris site. A mourning ceremony was also held in the provincial capital of Xining at 10 a.m., as the sound of sirens and car horns echoed through the city.

"We survived, and also hope survived, because there are lots of people helping us."

"What I want is a bright classroom. I also want to live happily from now on."

In the capital, Beijing, thousands of people gathered at Tian'anmen Square to watch the national flag hoisted to full height, then lowered to half-mast in the drizzly morning air.

"I hope people in Yushu are better. We will always be with them."

"We see the respect the state shows to the victims."

Chinese President Hu Jintao and other Party leaders stood around a table for a moment of silence before beginning a meeting.

"I raise a silent tribute to all the victims of the Qinghai quake."

Public entertainment, including some television channels, has been suspended nationwide; cinemas, karaoke bars and Internet cafes are closed. Also, in a show of mourning, the pages of newspapers and websites have been turned black and white for the day.

Meanwhile, with nearly 200 people still missing and some 12,000 people injured, relief efforts are continuing to pour into the quake-hit area. Rescue workers are digging through the rubble despite altitude sickness and freezing weather.

This is the second time the State Council has ordered a day of mourning for victims of a natural disaster. In May 2008, three days were set aside to honor the nearly 90,000 victims of the 8.0-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake in southwestern Sichuan Province.

From CRI, I'm Zhao Yang.