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For the first time in Hong Kong history, a three-minute silence was observed throughout Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories at 2:28pm on May 19, 2008 to mourn all those killed in the powerful earthquake in northern Sichuan province a week earlier.
People stopped walking on the streets at the stroke of 2:28pm, some of them putting their hands together in Buddhist prayer with their heads lowered in mourning; in offices people put down whatever they were doing, stood up and closed their eyes to pay the earthquake victims their sincere respect.
In and outside the ever-crowded Times Square in Causeway Bay and Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, thousands of shoppers stood in front of huge television screens showing coverage of disaster relief efforts in Sichuan and observed the three-minute silence.
Drivers of various vehicles on the streets, ships and ferries in the Victoria Harbour and even trains in the subway sounded their horns at the same time to show their sorrow.
Many Hong Kong residents wept in silence for the lost lives while others held national flags in their hands or wore white flowers on their chests. Still more people prayed quietly for the aftermath of the natural calamity to fade away soon.
The whole city was still feeling the pain 168 hours after catastrophe struck Sichuan as more than 7 million Hong Kong residents wished and prayed for more miracles in the quake-hit areas to happen and people living there to stay well.
The skies were overcast with occasional drizzle as if Mother Nature was also saddened by the tremendous disaster.
In front of the Special Administrative government headquarters, Chief Executive Donald Tsang and his wife led nine permanent secretaries and nearly 200 staff members of the government to mourn the earthquake victims in silence despite the drizzle. He prayed twice for the deceased with tears in his eyes.
The Legislative Council for the first time suspended its session to observe the three-minute silence of collective mourning. ■春生 資深翻譯員
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