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Tears, prays for quake victims on Tomb Sweeping Day
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-05 10:31

In Qingchuan county, flower seller He Xiantong brought a bunch of chrysanthemums to an earthquake memorial park in Donghekou.

Tears, prays for quake victims on Tomb Sweeping Day
Relatives of earthquake victims mourn at the ruins of earthquake-hit Beichuan county in Sichuan province April 2, 2009. [Agencies]
"Somewhere in the county, 40 meters underground, lies my wife," he said. "I feel that we are so close."

At the same time,their son, He Kaiyuan, who is in Chengdu, less than 300 kilometers away, stands facing Qingchuan. He also bought flowers for his mother and placed them on the ground.

"Dad visits mom every day," he said. "Mom, dad is with you. You must be happy in heaven."

In front of the tomb of Tan Qianqiu in Deyang city, just north of Chengdu, many strangers stopped to mourn.

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The teacher, from the Dongqi middle school, sheltered four students with his arms when the quake jolted the building. When rescuers arrived, they discovered Tan had died, but the students all survived.

Huang Jing, a girl who was from Hunan province, dedicated a bouquet to Tan.

"He is also a native of Hunan," she said. "Although he didn't know me, I brought him greetings from his hometown."

Mourning from Elsewhere

In Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian province -- 2,000 kilometers away from the quake's epicenter -- a ceremony was held for people to mourn victims.

In front of more than 100 people, two girls tied letters they had written to deceased relatives, to the legs of pigeons, then let them go.

Tears, prays for quake victims on Tomb Sweeping Day
Two kids stick cards written with their best wishes to the kids in the earthquake-hit areas to a memorial wall in Suining, southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 4, 2009, the day of Chinese Qingming Festival or Tomb-sweeping Day. [Agencies] 

"Dear little sister, how are you in heaven?" wrote 16-year-old Dong Yu.

"Does it still hurt? How are uncle and aunt?" her letter went on to say. Her cousin was just eight months younger than her.