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Vivienne Chow

Hong Kong's chief secretary and a mainland official joined more than 400 celebrities in sending their blessings to  victims of the Sichuan quake and support  to survivors in a marathon concert yesterday.
The Artistes 512 Fund Raising Campaign concert, held at the outdoor Pop TV Arena in West Kowloon, raised HK$31 million after a nearly eight-hour performance in front of a crowd of 10,000.
The concert started at 2.28pm, the moment the quake struck on May 12, with a minute's silence.
Event conveners Andy Lau Tak-wah and Alan Tam Wing-lun  were joined by mainland stars including actress Zhou Xun  and actor Hu Jun, as well as actress-director Sylvia Chang Ai-chia and Richie Jen Hsien-chi from Taiwan.
At 7pm when the concert began its worldwide live broadcast, the stars and Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen, joined by Li Gang, deputy director of the central government's Hong Kong liaison office, participated in a ceremony.
They swore to assist the survivors in the coming years, winning enthusiastic support from the  audience.
Celebrities including Taiwanese actress Shu Qi and singer Miriam Yeung Chin-wah helped man the donation hotline alongside Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing.
Yeung said the Hong Kong people were very generous and supportive.
'The donations ranged from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousand of dollars, and some wanted to make the donation under their children's names.'
More than 10,000 volunteers also helped at the event. A Chinese University pharmacy student, Cheri Ho Lai-ting, 19, said she signed up because she wanted to help the victims.
Ms Ho, who was stationed at the entrance with a donation box, said concert-goers had been generous, with many giving HK$500 notes.
The more than 10,000 spectators, who were required to make a minimum donation of HK$20 at the door, not only came to see their favourite stars but also to show their support for the survivors.
Each visitor was given a yellow ribbon and a paper fan printed with the Chinese character  for 'promise', symbolising their dedication to  the quake victims.
Winnie Chan Wai-yung, 58, said that she and 10 of her friends arrived at about noon, and apart from giving at the door they also bought hats, which sold for HK$100 each to raise money for quake victims.
An Indonesian domestic helper named Wati said that apart from watching Lau perform, she also hoped to show her support.
'I was saddened by the news. I have donated some money but this is a very serious disaster which needs a lot of help from us,' she said.
Amy Pun Shuk-lin, a 47-year-old in the trading business, took  her 15-year-old daughter, Carmen Chiu Ka-man, to the event.
'I hope the funds raised can be used to give them shelter and rebuild the schools,' she said. 'We are so far away from them so the best thing we can do to help them is to make donations to charities.'



Audience digs deep to help raise HK$31m at charity concert