A unique memorial service online (http://cn.netor.com/m/box200104/m5661.asp?boardID=5661), dedicated to the Chinese pilot Wang Wei, who was missing and presumed dead when his fighter plane collided with a US Navy EP-3 spy plane on April 1, opened in Beijing on April 16.
The online tributary service, developed by the official Xinhuanet.com and a private company, Netor Co Ltd, attracted tens of thousands of web surfers who sent messages, flowers and songs like ``Candle in the Wind'' to the site.
A staff working there told chinadaily.com.cn that while the news of the site broke out, traffic to the site even jammed because of the messages and gifts thronged to the website at the same time.
Among the people who sent their sorrow to Wang Wei and expressed their good wishes to his widowed wife and child, are college and middle school students, office workers, government employees and overseas Chinese as well as kind foreigners.
Opening the site, one can see bouquets of lilies, chrysanthemums, sun flowers, and carnations.
On the message board, some wrote: ``You dedicated your body to defend our national integrity, proved yourself to be a good son of the Chinese nation and you are the pride of all Chinese people.''
Another message reads: ``Maybe you are smiling at us from the Heaven. We will always remember your glorious image and cherish you in our hearts. However, you could not come back and get a reunion with us, even if how much tears your beloved ones shed.''
In another development, Ruan Guoqin, widow of Wang Wei, received flooding letters from all over the country, encouraging her to be as strenuous as his late husband.
(chinadaily 04/16/2001)
