Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

    BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Around 200 Chinese artists appealed for united efforts from all art workers nationwide to help with disaster relief on Friday.

    Artists including noted actor Jiang Kun, composer Xu Peidong and singer Tan Jing made the appeal, after a 7.8-magnitude quake jolted Wenchuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12.

    The appeal says that since art is deeply rooted in the general public, art workers should make contribution, extend love and provide help to people when needed.

    It also states that the spirit of the quake-stricken people, as well as the courageous combat against the disaster, will enormously inspire their artistic creativity.

    As of 4 p.m. Thursday, more than 50,000 people were feared dead and the confirmed death toll in Sichuan alone was 19,509. China's domestic donations in both cash and goods to the quake-hit areas had hit 1.34 billion yuan (192 million U.S. dollars) on Thursday.