There is a three-day mourning and memorial period here in China for quake victims. Most schools are holding memorial services around the 2:28 moment of silence.

China will spend three days marking the moment when tens of thousands died in a devastating earthquake, while hope of finding more trapped survivors dwindled Sunday and preventing hunger and disease became more pressing.

The government announced an official mourning period starting Monday and asked China’s 1.3 billion people to observe three minutes of silence starting at 2:28 p.m. — exactly one week after the quake killed an estimated 50,000.

The Olympic torch relay — a potent symbol of national pride in the countdown to August’s much anticipated Beijing games — also will be suspended during the mourning period, the organizing committee said

(As with all numbers in China-related news, I’ve heard other figures, both higher and lower than 50,000.)

Via AP