Flags at half-mast for quake victims

Chinese flags are now flying at half-mast, and all public recreational activities have been suspended as the country begins its three days of mourning.

At 4:58 a.m., the national flag at Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing was lowered to half-mast.

Over 2,500 people came out for the moment. Most wore white, blue and black, traditional colors of mourning in China.

The flag is flying at half-mast at the seat of the central government at the Xinhuamen, as well as at all ministries, committees and administrative departments.

This is the ceremony at the Foreign Ministry. Similar scenes took place at other institutions, including the People's Bank of China and the Customs Office.

Some places chose to lower the flag at the stroke of midnight on Monday, such as Liaoning and Shandong provinces, Shanghai municipality, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions are also flying the flag at half-mast.

All government offices and schools in the SARs will continue to do so for the 3 days of national mourning. Government employees there stood in silence for three minutes at 2:28 p.m. on Monday. Public recreational activities are also suspended.

Monday marks the seventh day after the quake. According to Chinese tradition, memorial ceremonies on the seventh day are especially important. They were believed to help grant the dead a better afterlife.