While the public was observing three minutes of silence, our reporter Wang Jing was in Wangfujing Shopping area in downtown Beijing.

Reporter:

The whole street turned still all of a sudden, tens of thousands of people stood still with their heads lowered. All vehicles stopped, honking.

Photographer Jin Hongwei recorded the moment with his camera.

He says in the frame, he sees the deepest sorrow and grief. There are tears, prayers, and wrinkled faces. The expressions are so vivid and his eyes brimmed with tears.

A lot of people were crying in silence.

This old man is in his 70s, he came to Beijing for hospital treatment, but walked to Wangfujing street to join the observation of silence. He says he experienced the Tangshan earthquake three decades ago, but this one is far more serious. He was too sad to say more.

This young man tried to keep back his tears and took out his digital camera, but he choked with tears.

This taxi driver says he honked the horn for three minutes, as all the other drivers did. He describes the scene as "solemn and stirring".

He has no more words to say except a plain "sad", but at the same time, he says he is moved by the unity shown by the people.

This is the first time China is holding such a public mourning. All flags are flown at half-mast. Sixty-seven years old Mr. Sun is a tourist in Beijing.

He says the mourning shows that the central government and the society are paying greater than ever attention to the people. He has never seen flags flown at half-mast and horns sounding in honor of the common people. The devotion helps build up his confidence he says.

A group of young college students are heading to Tian'anmen square to attend another gathering.

Prior to this one, they held another praying ceremony in dorms last Friday, with lights turned off at 10:00pm for three minutes.

Their words for the victims are:

"I just want to say to the guys, no matter how difficult it is or how many obstacles are there, we have confidence to overcome them and to fight for any disaster we have ever met!"

Wang Jing, CRI News.