Charity Show Raises US$319 min for Quake-hit Area

The Chinese people continued to donate for the quake-hit zone in northwestern province of Qinghai on April 20th, while getting ready for a nationwide mourning for those killed in the earthquake.

A TV charity show on April 20th raised RMB2.175 billion (about US$ 319 million) in donations for the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, where the 7.1-magnitude quake has left at least 2,064 people dead, 175 missing, and 12,135 injured so far.

The donations mainly came from the country's performing artists, dignitaries, media as well as private and state-owned enterprises.

It will be channeled to the quake zone through the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Red Cross Society of China.

Of the donations, RMB330 million was contributed by 65 large state-owned enterprises administrated by the central government, and people in Hong Kong contributed HK$ 42.43 million dollars in donations.

Li Changchun, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, was present at the show.

In the small hours of Wednesday, most websites and news portals in China have already turned black and white as part of the national mourning.

(Source: Xinhua)