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Students with Mingxiu Primary School in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, donates money for children survivors in tsunami-hit countries Tuesday. From farmers to millionaires, Chinese from all walks of life are digging deep into their pockets to help victims in one of the country's largest fund-raising efforts in recent history, which won acclaim from foreign media. Nine days after the Dec. 26 disaster struck.

The campaign to raise money for tsunami survivors received a boost Tuesday when the city leaders and government workers dug deep to help.

From 3 p.m., thousands of government workers started queueing at the Citizens' Center, the city government headquarters, to make their donations with each giving at least 100 yuan (US$12).

Huang Liman, secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, and several vice mayors, including Xu Zongheng and Zhuo Qinrui, joined the throng.

A government worker said Mayor Li Hongzhong was attending a meeting outside Shenzhen and had asked Tang Jie, secretary general of the municipal government, to donate his share.

City leaders and government workers gave a total of 551,124 yuan Tuesday.

The civil affairs bureau also took a collection on the same day receiving 13,370 yuan.

Ms. Chen of Shenzhen Charity Community said that up to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, more than 93,000 yuan had been deposited in the accounts the charity federation had opened for donations.

The local branch of Red Cross Society of China received nearly 200,000 yuan by the end of Tuesday, branch spokesman Mr. Chen said.

Shenzhen launched a campaign to collect money for tsunami victims Monday. It will continue for the next few days.

Editor: Catherine