Grieving China Observes a Moment of Silence

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STEVE INSKEEP, host:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep. Thousands of Chinese dropped what they were doing today. They observed a moment of silence. It came precisely one week to the minute after the earthquake that left more than 34,000 people dead, and we can tell you today that tens of thousands are still listed as missing.

The country will observe three days in mourning for the victims, and all this started with the sounds of sirens and of car horns. This was the chorus in Beijing.

(Soundbite of sirens)

(Soundbite of car horns)

INSKEEP: People made noise, but did not speak. Tang Mi(ph) participated in that silence.

Mr. TANG MI (Beijing, China): (Foreign language spoken)

INSKEEP: He says I feel a lot of pain and sympathy for my countrymen. And like the government, he says he's putting people first in his country. Ku Hi(ph) also felt closer to her countrymen.

Ms. KU HI (Beijing, China): (Foreign language spoken)

INSKEEP: She did say she thinks the country will rebuild bigger and better, but the relief effort will be an immense undertaking, and the rebuilding as well, and the challenges ahead are equally massive.

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