A quake survivor walks among the rubble of a collapsed Houses in Shuimo, in Wenchuan county in southwestern China's Sichuan province Sunday, May 18, 2008. China declared three days of national mourning for earthquake victims and ordered a suspension of the Olympic torch relay, as the search for survivors of the disaster grew bleak Sunday. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
By AUDRA ANG – May 18, 2008
BEICHUAN, China (AP) — Flags flew at half-staff, public entertainment was canceled and 1.3 billion people were asked to observe three minutes of silence as China began three days of mourning Monday for the victims of the nation’s massive earthquake.
Officials asked for the horns of cars, trains and ships and air raid sirens to sound as people fell silent at 2:28 p.m. — exactly one week after the quake splintered thousands of buildings and killed an estimated 50,000 people. Chinese news portal sina.com said the government had ordered all visitors to online entertainment and game pages to be redirected to Web sites dedicated to commemorating earthquake victims.
The Olympic torch relay — a potent symbol of national pride in the countdown to August’s much anticipated Beijing games — was also suspended during the mourning period.
It was the first time China held a period of mourning other than for a national leader.
The national flag in Tiananmen Square, which is raised in a solemn ceremony every morning at dawn, fluttered at half staff.
The State Council, China’s Cabinet, ordered all “public entertainment activities” suspended during the three days of mourning, without giving specifics on which activities were banned. the National Grand Theater canceled or postponed all performances.
Media reports said numerous bars, nightclubs, karaoke parlors and movie theaters had shut down beginning at midnight in major cities such as Beijing, Shenyang and Changsha.

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