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Foreign diplomats present flowers during
the commemorative service to mark the first anniversary of May 12
Earthquake in Yingxiu Township of Wenchuan County, southwest China's
Sichuan Province, May 12, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
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Groups of foreign diplomats and international
organizations' chief representatives also attended Tuesday's event to mourn the
victims in Sichuan.
Of the total 76 billion yuan in quake donations, 10.3
billion yuan came from outside the Chinese mainland as of Oct. 10, 2008,
official calculation showed.
President Hu and all the other attendees paid tribute
to the quake victims following Hu's speech. Hu picked up a white chrysanthemum
and gravely laid it in front of the monument wall.
In addition to watching a live TV broadcast, viewers
also turned to the Internet to express sentimental feelings about the quake --
many still in deep grief over tremendous losses.
On a popular Beijing-headquartered Facebook-like
social networking service portal, kaixin001.com, more than 600,000 users have
posted supportive messages in a dedicated zone since the first message was
uploaded on May 10. Most were blessings and encouragement to the people in
quake-affected areas.
"We can not change what has happened, but we can
build a future with our wisdom. By remembering this day, we know better the
power and value of life," said a user named Wu Dan.
Another user, Liu Sha, said she was trapped in an
elevator in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, when the quake struck.
"I learned to be strong after that experience. I hope
every Chinese person will get stronger, for those who died in the quake," Liu
said.
Encouraging the whole nation to overcome current
economic hardship, triggered by the international financial crisis and ensuing
economic downturn, and achieve more ahead of the 60th founding anniversary of
New China, Hu said, "Practice in quake relief and post-disaster reconstruction
proved again that unity brings strength and valor means success."
The service attended by Hu and other senior officials
in the quake-hit town epitomized the nationwide mourning -- from a popular
online shopping Web site shifting its color into black and white, to a picture
exhibition at the Shanghai Library to highlight post-quake reconstruction.
The Chinese government designated May 12 as the
Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day to raise the country's overall
preparedness for natural disasters.
Special Report: 1st Anniversary of Wenchuan
Earthquake
