A benefit concert was held at Beijing's Capital Gymnasium Sunday
night, part of China's largest-ever aid package to the countries
stricken by the December 26 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian
Ocean.
A sold-out crowd of some 18,000 fans sang along with the 30-plus
pop stars who performed at the show, which was sponsored by the Red
Cross Society of China (RCSC) and a consortium of Beijing-based
newspapers.
"Everyone has a time of need. It is an unfortunate disaster, but
we can take this opportunity to create an atmosphere of mutual
help," said Gu Wenxing, a student from the Beijing University of
Science and Engineering. Gu was one of those who waited on January
3 in a long queue to buy tickets, priced at 100 yuan (US$12)
each.
The RCSC and China Charity Federation (CCF) both set out
donation boxes and many members of the audience continued to
contribute as they enjoyed the performance. Some 43,500 yuan
(US$5,260) was placed in the Red Cross donation boxes alone.
A number of organizations and companies pledged additional funds
during the show. A family from Liaoning Province made the largest
single donation, 5 million yuan (US$604,000).
All the proceeds and donations from the concert will be
transferred to tsunami-hit regions through the RCSC and CCF.
(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2005)
