(According to Xinhua News Agency)Millions of people in China and overseas observed three minutes of silence at 2:28 p.m. on Monday as they mourned the many killed in a deadly earthquake in Sichuan Province a week ago.

    President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, and other top leaders including Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang also stood in silence in the central government compound of Zhongnanhai in Beijing.

    The leaders, dressed in dark suits and wearing white paper flowers on their chests, bowed their heads in solemn silence below a national flag flying at half staff. Former President Jiang Zemin also stood in silence, separately.

    The remembrance was part of a highly unusual three-day national period of mourning for those who died in the 8.0-magnitude earthquake.

    The quake is known to have killed at least 32,000 people, but officials have said that the final toll could exceed 50,000.

    Across the country, sirens and horns wailed; people fell silent. China Central Television darkened its screen. In the headquarters of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, more than 200 employees gathered in front of their office building, facing southwest, towards Sichuan, in a silent tribute.

    In Tian'anmen square, thousands of people shouted "Go, Go, China!" "Brave and strong, China!" and "Brave and Strong, Wenchuan!" "Hang on, Sichuan!"

    Wenchuan County was the epicenter of quake on May 12.

    Financial markets suspended trading for three minutes. Some traders said people had asked about buying stocks of Sichuan-based companies to show support.