A benefit concert was held at Beijing's Capital Gymnasium Sunday night, part of China's largest-ever aid package to the countries stricken by the December 26 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

A sold-out crowd of some 18,000 fans sang along with the 30-plus pop stars who performed at the show, which was sponsored by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and a consortium of Beijing-based newspapers.

"Everyone has a time of need. It is an unfortunate disaster, but we can take this opportunity to create an atmosphere of mutual help," said Gu Wenxing, a student from the Beijing University of Science and Engineering. Gu was one of those who waited on January 3 in a long queue to buy tickets, priced at 100 yuan (US$12) each.

The RCSC and China Charity Federation (CCF) both set out donation boxes and many members of the audience continued to contribute as they enjoyed the performance. Some 43,500 yuan (US$5,260) was placed in the Red Cross donation boxes alone.

A number of organizations and companies pledged additional funds during the show. A family from Liaoning Province made the largest single donation, 5 million yuan (US$604,000).

All the proceeds and donations from the concert will be transferred to tsunami-hit regions through the RCSC and CCF.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2005)