By noon Wednesday, the China Red Cross had received more than 41 million yuan (US$5.0 million) in donations from across the nation for tsunami victims.

On Tuesday, computer giant Lenovo gave 4.1 million yuan (US$500,000), the largest single contribution on the mainland at the time. But it was quickly outdone by the China Buddhism Association with an offering of 9.9 million yuan (US$1.2 million) and the Cosco Group with an even 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million).

The Red Cross opened its 24-hour tsunami aid hotline on January 1, and the lines have been swamped.

"We had more than 1,800 calls by 5 PM Tuesday," said telephone operator Yu Liying.

Also on Tuesday, the Red Cross launched a charity drive and picture exhibition sponsored by the Modern Media Group and SOHO China Ltd.

Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, co-CEOs of the SOHO China property development company, chipped in one million yuan (US$120,000).

Donors have also been flocking to the China Charity Federation, an agency authorized by the central government to accept aid for the victims of the December 26 disaster.

Yang Zhi, 74, a retired civil servant, rode the bus for more than two hours from his home in northern Beijing to donate 500 yuan (US$60). "We couldn't find a donation site in our community until I learned from TV yesterday that the federation accepts donations." Yang said.

Living on a pension of just over 2,000 yuan (US$241) a month, Yang said he wanted to provide a helping hand to the needy.

The donors also included five-month-old Zhang Kexin, whose mother, Yao Liwen, contributed 500 yuan (US$60) on her behalf. Yao, from central China's Hubei Province, said she will keep the donation receipt to teach her daughter the meaning of giving to those in need.

In Shanghai, the local Red Cross office had received 1.5 million yuan (US$176,000) by 5:00 PM Tuesday, while the Shanghai Charity Foundation had collected 1.3 million (US$151,000).

"All our donations will be finally sent through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies," said Xiong Fangjie, executive vice president of the Shanghai Red Cross.

Xiong said they expected more donations from organizations and enterprises that had been on their New Year holidays.

Ma Zhongqi of the Shanghai Charity Foundation said, "Many local companies and organizations, including the Shanghai Dazhong Taxi Company Ltd and the Jade Buddha Temple, have called us today to say they will be making contributions."

In the first hour after a collection box was placed in the lobby of Shanghai's municipal administration building on Tuesday, people deposited more than 60,000 yuan (US$7,200).

(China.org.cn, China Daily January 5, 2005)