The May 12 earthquake was the strongest since the founding of New China in 1949. It was followed by many "firsts" in the rescue effort.

First national top-grade emergency response

The government started a national first-grade emergency response for the first time since 1949 at 10:15 p.m. on May 12, hours after the quake.

The National Commission for Disaster Reduction started the national second-grade emergency response less than two hours after the quake.

First time donations surpass 40 billion yuan

As of Thursday noon, domestic and foreign donations had reached 44.85 billion yuan in cash and goods, among which 13.97 billion yuan had been forwarded to the quake-hit areas, according to the Information Office of the State Council.

First large-scale volunteer rescue effort

According to relevant departments, more than 10 million volunteers from across the country went to aid survivors, taking part in rescue work, medical and psychological care, relief distributions, environmental observation, maintaining social order and cultural activities.

First participation by foreign rescue personnel

Rescue teams from Japan, Russia, the Republic of Korea and Singapore began operations on May 16. It was the first time foreign rescue teams had taken part in disaster relief in China since 1949.

Starting from May 20, medical workers from Russia, Japan, Italy, Germany, Britain, France and Cuba, and those from China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan began work in quake zones.

First national mourning for ordinary citizens

At 2:28 p.m. on May 19, exactly a week after the disaster, 1.3 billion Chinese observed three minutes of silence in memory of the dead.

In silence, the national flag was raised, then lowered to half-staff in Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing. Soldiers, police, doctors, nurses, volunteers, students and relatives of the victims watched; some sobbed.

Similar scenes were repeated nationwide on May 19, the first day of China's three-day unprecedented national mourning for ordinary citizens.

First time to promulgate a regulation on post-quake reconstruction

The State Council, China's Cabinet, promulgated a regulation on reconstruction following the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake on June 8.

It was the first of its kind in the country specially for a single massive quake. The regulation, which sets guidelines for the reconstruction, provides important legal ground for the rebuilding work.

First time to impress the world with transparency

The devastation caused by the May 12 earthquake has drawn a host of journalists, rescue and relief workers, and volunteers to Sichuan.

Sichuan provincial information office figures show that at least 545 overseas reporters from 144 media organizations in 30 countries and regions have visited Sichuan to cover the disaster. China's unprecedented transparency in dissemination of information has won praise from across the world.

First use of large-scale airlift for rescue

China parachuted 15 soldiers without ground guidance from an altitude of 4,999 m to Maoxian County, one of the worst-hit areas in the quake, on May 14.

On the same day, the air force parachuted in 6,000 soldiers and dropped 131.5 tons of supplies by helicopter into mountainous areas of northern Sichuan that had been largely cut off.

More than 200 planes, including civil aviation planes and army aircraft, have made about 6,600 flights since May 12. The daily flight frequency was tens of times than usual, according to the Air Force Air Traffic Control Department.

First time to mobilize provinces to help quake zone reconstruction

China's top leadership has made a decision to mobilize developed provinces and cities in the country to offer one-one assistance to quake-ravaged counties to speed up reconstruction.

The Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau made this decision on June 5. To date, 21 provinces and municipalities have affirmed to support the affected counties in various forms, including labor, materials, money and intelligence.

First time to successfully drain a gigantic quake-formed lake

A "decisive victory" was achieved in draining the main quake lake at Tangjiashan, said Liu Qibao, Communist Party chief of Sichuan Province, on Tuesday after about half of the lake's 250 million cubic meters of water had been discharged and the number of people in danger dropped from 1.3 million to less than 50,000. No casualty was reported during the process of drainage.

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2008)