At 14:28 on May 12, 2008, a magnitude 8 earthquake occurred in Wenchuan area, Sichuan Province. So far, 32,447 compatriots have been killed. The people are weeping and tears are falling, the mountains and rivers are changing color, and the plants and trees are sad.

Yesterday, the State Council issued an announcement. In order to express the deep condolences of the people of all ethnic groups across the country for their compatriots who died in the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, the State Council decided that May 19 to 21, 2008 will be the national mourning day. During this period, the whole country and various institutions stationed abroad will lower the flag to mourn, stop public entertainment activities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese embassies and consulates abroad will set up a condolence book. Starting from 14:28 on May 19, the whole country will be silent for 3 minutes. At that time, cars, trains, ships will whistle and air defense alarms will be sounded. During the mourning day, the transmission of the Olympic flame will also be suspended at the same time.

This is the first national mourning event held on large-scale natural disasters since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and it is also the first time that the ordinary people who died in natural disasters have been lowered from a system to mourn half of the flag. At the same time, at 14:28 on May 19, it was also the "first seven" of the victims of the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake. In the traditional mourning atmosphere of the Chinese nation, the whole country has lowered the flag to mourn half of the flag. We use the tears of the whole nation to mourn the victims of this earthquake disaster and the victims in disaster relief, and use the will of the whole nation to show China's great respect for every ordinary life.

For this, we all express our condolences to the whole country.

The day of mourning is a gathering of national emotions. After the disaster, people from all over the country spontaneously donated money and blood. Many Chinese people are willing to be volunteers and actively expressed their adoption of earthquake orphans. When people spontaneously mourn the dead with candlelight, and when people spontaneously transport disaster relief supplies to the disaster area, the Chinese nation has never been as united as one person as it is now. It is difficult to prosper the country. As a nation-state with traditions and responsibilities, we need a national behavior to reaffirm the common feelings of the whole nation in this disaster.

For this, we all express our condolences to the whole country.

The day of mourning is also a reaffirmation of the responsibility of the state. The state has the responsibility to establish a life for the people and the responsibility to relieve the people from the hangover. When natural disasters come, the choice between life and death is actually the basic responsibility of every Chinese, and it is also the commitment of the state as a collective of nations. The state has the obligation to mourn the misfortune of people's livelihood, especially the natural disaster with the largest number of deaths after the reform has become a wound in the national memory. Many citizens have lost their relatives, their homes, and all their beautiful memories.

For this, we all express our condolences to the whole country.

The day of mourning is also a response to the people's voices. After the disaster, many people expressed their voices through various channels, hoping to confirm the day of mourning through state affairs and lower the flag to mourn. This is not only a common practice in many countries, but also a symbol of nation-state identity, maturity and development, and also represents the belief that citizens and the country share honor and disgrace. The country now responds to their requests, which is to protect the basic dignity of citizens' lives and affirm the right to love.

For this, we all express our condolences to the whole country.

In the mourning day, we should not forget that there may be dying victims under the rubble and ruins. Our tears are shed for the victims, our sweat and determination, for those miracles of life. In this mourning day that lasts for three days, we must do our best to exchange for the emergence of even one miracle of life. Fight for life with the collapse of space after the earthquake, and fight for life with the time after the earthquake. This is also the most important thing that we really need to work together in the silence of the mourning day.

The past is still the disaster, and the people are still breathing. On this day of mourning, the entire nation uses a mourning day to establish our determination to save lives, extend our love and faith, and write the glory of our lives. At this moment, we have opened up the road to the center of the disaster area. The isolated island of life no longer exists, and when the whole of China lowers the flag and sounds the alarm and whistle, the isolated island of love no longer exists.
Chapter completed!