Yesterday was Sunday. But it’s not a usual Sunday as before. It’s the national day of mourning for the dead in the landslide in Zhouqu, Gansu Province.

Landslides which were triggered by a rainstorm hit the northwest China’s Zhouqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province in August 8. Mud and rock flows submerged half of Zhouqu in early morning.

A lot of houses with sleeping people had been buried by the mudslides. More than 1,000 people died in this horrible landslide and several hundreds were missing.

The disaster relief work began immediately after the landslides. Saving lives is the top work. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao flew to the landslide-hit Zhouqu County for organizing the tough rescue work in the afternoon of 8th.

The ministry and the Ministry of Railways jointly launched an emergency system giving priority to rescue and relief transportation. The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) sent emergency relief to aid the relief work by its local branch.

The Ministry of Health sent several teams of experts to the area to supervise the local medical and epidemic prevention work.A lot of troops, armed police officers and firefighters were sent to Zhouqu for rescuing people who may still stayed alive after the landslide and help build tents and clear the roads.

Seven days after the horrific mudslide claimed more than 1,000 lives, the nation decided to honor its dead yesterday.

During the national day of mourning, flags across the country flew at half-staff. All public forms of entertainment were suspended and the country's main websites kept black and white colors only on their front pages.

It was the third time in two years in session that China has observed a period of national mourning for natural disasters. The government ordered three-day mourning after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province which killed nearly 90,000 people. One day of national mourning followed April's earthquake in Yushu in Qinghai Province which killed 2,700 people.