China mourns quake victims one year after quake

"Looking at the ribbons all over the city, I wanted to cry," she said. "When we tie a yellow ribbon to our wrists, we are cherishing a wish in the heart, for those from the devastated quake zone."

In the northeastern Jilin province, police and prisoners in the women's prison gathered on the playground to release 512 white balloons.

In the eastern Anhui province, students in the Hanshan middle school set off traditional flying lamps. The lamp, made of paper and carried aloft by hot air from a candle inside, was recognized as a symbolic wishes.

In Jinan, capital of the eastern Shandong Province, 365 candles were placed in the shape of a heart and lit in the China's biggest long-distance coach station. Passengers and staff stood still for as long as 10 minutes before resuming their normal life.

"This ceremony was not only meant to mourn for the dead, but also to remind the alive their responsibility to help the affected."

In Lijiang of southwestern Yunnan Province and Tianchang of the eastern Anhui Province, people put water lanterns into rivers. On the lanterns words of "happiness" and "safety" were written.

"Lijiang was hit by an earthquake in 1996, when 309 people died, so we could understand how people in Sichuan felt quite well," said 43-year-old Li Yucun.

"We can't go Sichuan to help them. All we can do is to pray for their better future in our traditional way," she said.

Sirens wailed in northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region at 2:28 p.m., which signaled start of a quake rehearsal.

"Compared with simply mourning, organizing a disaster rehearsal is a better way to mark the anniversary," said Shi Ruihua, a teacher with the Changqing School in Yinchuan, the regional capital.

"If natural disaster couldn't be avoided, at least we should teach everybody how to save themselves," she said.