This is not another day - May 19

The crowd at the Tiananmen were unusually large but quiet and kind of devoid of the exciement characteristic of the square visitors.

The employees lined up at the entrance of the Peoples Central Bank and this was repeated with the other buildings nearby along the Changan Street. From afar, they all looked solemn.

When the taxi got onto the Xi Er Huan (Western Second Ring Raod), every overhead bridges, the taxi passed through, were full of peoples standing by. Down on the road, the vehicles were slowing down their pace.

This is not another day. The time has come, I asked the taxi driver to pull aside and stop.

On 2.28 pm May 19, 2008, the entire nation came to grieve the Wenchuan Quake Disaster, observing the three minutes silence for the fellow countrymen and women and children whose life were taken by the ferocious force of nature.

The May 12 quake calamity has transformed a nation first associated with incessant class struggle and followed by incessant material pursuit to a nation of compassion, a nation of love and voluntarism.

The calamity caused massive loss of life and pain of unsaid magnitude. We learn of the stories of selfless parents shieding their chidlren from the collapsed building. We also learn of altruistic teachers who tried to save the school children from the falling school. We know, despite their heroic eforts, most of them didn't survive and this pain us. We are all empathetic to the quake survivors amd their family.

There is outpouring of aids and charity everywhere. The street corners and the few open spaces in Hong Kong were filled by quake relief street campaigns last weekend.

I know first hand that many organizations both here in Hong Kong and Beijing initiate efforts to help the quake survivors. It pains us to learn that the surviving babies have no baby formulae, the injured are not treated, the sick are not given the medicine, the adults and children the food, the clean water and the shelter.

I saw and I know, Chinese, and not just Chinese, everywhere, donate for their fellow suffering brethens and sisters. Many young peoples both from within and outside the province volunteered to assist in the relieft efforts. Companies are making corporate donation.

We thank thoese rescue workers who are working around the clock to save life against the odd. We also thank those reporters who make the dangerous field trips to deliver us the largely heart breaking news in the midst of hoping for the few comforting news. We also appreciate the government taking the lead in rescueing the trapped and relieving the survivors.

We share the pain of the orphans. We also share the pain of parents who lost their children. We likewise share the pain of everyone who loss their family and friends. We shall help them to rebuild their home, their school and their life.

This is a nation in grief and this is a nation of hope