National Mourning Day In China
Today, April 21, 2010, is the National Mourning Day for the Yushu Earthquake victims as ordered by a State Council notice issued yesterday.
Urgent Notice From the Office of the Ministry of Culture Concerning the State Council Decision on “National Mourning Activities”
Notice is hereby made to all Provincial, Administrative Region, and Municipality-level Culture Departments, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Culture Department, the Cultural Market Administrative Teams of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing, and all subordinate work unites:
To express the profound grief that people of all ethnic groups across the country feel for their compatriots who fell victim to the Yushu earthquake, the State Council has decided to hold a National Day of Mourning on April 21, 2010. Flags across the country and at overseas institutions will be lowered and all public entertainment activities will be suspended. To carry out the spirit of the State Council decision, notice is hereby made of the following measures:
1. According to the instructions in the State Council notice, culture administration departments at all levels across the country, general culture market administrative agencies, and culture work units that fly national flags will lower them to half-staff in mourning.
2. Departments and work units in the national culture system will suspend any entertainment activities they organize.
3. Cultural and entertainment venues across the country will suspend their entertainment activities. All cinemas and theaters, dance halls, recreation venues, and game rooms, as well as all culture centers (or cultural palaces or stations) and community activity centers will suspend all entertainment, performances, screenings, and gaming activities. Internet service providers will suspend all entertainment activities including games, music, and video. Online cultural operators will suspend all online music, online games, online animation, and online video.
4. Culture administration departments and general culture market administration agencies at all levels should carry out strict observation of how the cultural and entertainment venues and their operators implement the State Council’s decision, and shall deal with violators according to the law.
Office, Ministry of Culture
Baidu (And Select Websites Like Google, Etc.) In Mourning Clothes
Baidu published the following blog post yesterday April 20 7:46pm (translated excerpt):
The disaster is still there, but hope still exists. The Yushu Earthquake rescue is on its eighth day. Along the ruins of more than 20,000 square kilometers, the rescue team is suffering from altitude sickness and huge and dramatic temperature differences throughout the day and the night. They are racing with death and doing all they can to rescue each person fighting for their lives. Time does not allow us to slack-off as every minute is precious. At this point, we would like to hold-up the whole country.
Today, both in the North and the South, people young and old, all at the same time will observe a moment of silence. We will show our reverence all in the name of life. The mountains and the rivers will sob; the heavens and the earth will grieve. Today, the flag will be raised for those who died for the country. We will sound a mourning call for the victims.
People can still remember what Premier Wen Jiabao promised: make people’s lives happier and more dignified. In this national day of mourning, the victims can share the same promise. Our hearts pray that the deceased (in another world) will never face an unhappy situation.
Yushu will not fall.
Shanghai World Expo On Half-Mast
In its second day of test run, the Shanghai World Expo has instead stopped all activities in respect to the National Day of Mourning with all their flags on half-mast.
Other places of entertainment like movie houses and perfomance theaters were also ordered to stop or delay activities and issue refunds as needed.
Qinghai Pavilion (At the Expo China Pavilion) Offered “White Tears” For The Victims
The staff at the Qinghai Pavilion came together 10am this day too to mourn the victims of the Yushu Earthquake.
Fudan University Students Gathered Together To Mourn
Amidst the drizzle, five students from the Qinghai province sounded the bronze century bell today 7:49am. Afterwhich a three-minute moment of silence was followed.
Expo Volunteers Tied Yellow Ribbons
More than 400 Shanghai Jiaotong University students (who are also Expo volunteers) tied yellow ribbons on their arms to signify their mourning period.
“As volunteers, we not only strive to serve in the World Expo but also try to give more hope to the society through the harmonious and caring volunteer spirit,” student Tao Zhenhao said.
