The State Department decided that the National Mourning Day would be from May 19 to May 21.

In order to express the deep grief of all the ethnic groups in the country for the compatriots who died in the Sichuan Wenchuan earthquake, the State Council decided that May 19 to 21, 2008 would be the national mourning days. During this period, the national flag would be flown at half-mast and public entertainment activities would be suspended across the country and at all overseas institutions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese embassies and consulates abroad would establish books of condolence. At 14:28 on May 19, the people across the country observed three minutes of silence, during which time cars, trains, ships sounded their horns and air-raid sirens wailed.