NINGQIANG, Shaanxi, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese
President Hu Jintao wished quake-affected kids a happy holiday ahead of
Children's Day in northwestern Shaanxi Province, also heavily hit by the May 12
earthquake.
On Saturday morning, Hu arrived at Ningqiang county,
neighboring to worst-hit Sichuan Province.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) sends
stationery to children and wishes them a happy Children's Day in a
tent school in Jinshansi Village, Guangping Town, Ningqiang County,
Shaanxi Province, northwest China, May 31, 2008. Hu Jintao arrived in
Shaanxi Province on Saturday morning to oversee quake relief operations.
(Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
A
magnitude 5.7 aftershock hit Ningqiang around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, leaving at
least one injured, 860 houses destroyed and 3,100 damaged, adding up the
damages.
Almost all the 340,000 locals in Ningqiang County
were urged to live outdoors amid fear of possible aftershocks.
At Jinshansi village, almost all houses were
flattened and villagers were living in tents for days.
As the Children's Day falls on Sunday, Hu went into a
tent school in the village to condole the kids suffering from the quake.
Chinese President Hu Jintao inquires
about the situation of a wounded girl in the earthquake in
a tent in Jinshansi Village, Guangping Town, Ningqiang County,
Shaanxi Province, northwest China, May 31, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
"Today
you have to study in the tent. But I promise you to help you build a new school.
You will be sure to have a better classroom," he said after children stood up
together and greeted him.
Then the President picked up a chalk, wrote 16
Chinese characters on the chalkboard and recited them together with the kids,
"One in trouble, all to help; Rely on ourselves and work hard."
"When we rebuild our hometown, we should stick to
this two sorts of spirits," Hu said.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) talks to
quake survivors in Jinshansi Village, Guangping Town, Ningqiang County,
Shaanxi Province, northwest China, May 31, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
"Many children are very brave and strong in front of
the major earthquake. I have learned from you and see the hope of the quake-hit
regions and the whole country. I believe you will strive to become stronger and
work hard in the future," he said.
Hu wished the kids a happy holiday and handed around
gifts to them.
He then inspected relief work at the village and
asking local officials to set the examples and lead residents to rebuild the
hometown.
Chinese President Hu Jintao talks to a
resident injured in the May 12 quake in Jinshansi Village, Guangping Town,
Ningqiang County, Shaanxi Province, northwest China, May 31, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
At a medical camp, Hu walked from bed to bed, asking
patients' conditions and heartening them to recover through treatment and good
rest.
He shook hands with 12-year-old Zhao Shasha, who was
receiving treatment there, and said, "Let's make a friend."
He also stopped 65-year-old Tao Yaoxiu from sitting
up from herbed. The tearful elderly thanked him for coming to visit them and Hu
answered, "We are people's servants. We should take care of your business."
He thanked medical workers for trying their best to
save people and hope them to work harder to help locals.
News spread soon about the visit of President Hu and
more villagers came to see him.
"We are thinking of you and worrying for you
difficulties. Please don't worry, the Party and government will try every method
to settle you down and rebuild your hometown," he said. "We will pull through
the hard time with support and assistance from the government and people
nationwide as well as your own efforts. Your life will be better."
On Saturday evening, Hu said at a meeting that the
local government should balance the quake relief and economic development but
relief work would top the agenda.
The country should first solve the most urgent
housing problem, he said. More tents and shiftable houses should be shipped to
the quake zone so that locals can settle down and kids can go to school.
He also asked local governments to well organize
people to pickup farming as the harvest season is drawing near.
BEIJING, May 31
(Xinhua) -- Visiting the grand National Stadium and viewing the solemn national
flag raising ceremony, the dreams of children from quake-hit regions came true
on Saturday, just ahead of the upcoming International Children's Day.
About 150 students from quake-hit Sichuan Province were
invited to China's capital in recent days to spend Sunday's Children's Day
together with their peers.
At 4:50 a.m. on Saturday, the students gathered at
Tianan'men Square to watch the national flag raising ceremony, living out their
own dreams as well as as those of the deceased. Full story
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Publishers will donate 12.83 million yuan (1.85 million U.S. dollars) worth of children's books to young readers in quake-hit Sichuan Province to mark Children's Day, which falls on June 1.
The 22 children's book publishers include China Juvenile and Children's Books Publishing House, Petrel Publishing House and Juvenile & Children's Publishing House. Full story
WUHAN, Central China, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen Olympic torchbearers on Friday sent variety of presents to seven children from quake-hit area ahead of the Children's Day, which falls on June 1.
The quake-affected children, who were moved here from
Sichuan and are receiving treatment in a hospital, received the gifts of toy
guns, basketball, books, pencil boxes and new shoes. Full
story
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua)
-- Beijing preschooler Song Qinhao spent more than one hour selling her toys at
a flea market last Sunday.
"Would you take this teddy bear for two yuan (28 U.S.
cents)?" the five-year-old would ask anyone who passed by her stand on the
campus of Beijing University.
The sticker and yellow ribbon on her shirt explained it
was a charity sale to raise funds for those who lost their homes in the May 12
quake in the southwestern Sichuan Province. Full
story
