An organization was set up Monday (Jan 3) by a dozen mainland showbiz celebrities including Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Guoli, Chen Kaige and Chen Daoming to help regions devastated by the Dec. 26 tsunamis.

The organization has sent out an appeal for the general public and celebrities to give money to the tsunami victims. The donation period runs from Monday to Thursday.

"We sent out the appeal and want to set examples with our roles as public figures, with the hope that more people will join in giving money," said actor and director Zhang Guoli.

Film director Chen Kaige said he wanted to make clear his views on the disaster. "Although I am very busy with my latest film Promise, I want to come to show my support," he said.

Chen once worked in the southwestern province of Yunnan, where earthquakes frequently occur. "I can feel the helplessness of the people hit by earthquakes. I can feel the warmth they feel and the gratitude they want to express when they are given donations. We are public figures and should lead society in donating," he said.

The appeal received a positive response from many people including famous pop singers such as Yu Quan, Huang Zheng and Zhou Yanhong. They called the organization to show their willingness to donate.

As a UNICEF ambassador, Zhou Yanhong bought 500,000 yuan of medicine and sent it to Thailand on a chartered plane. She said that if her visa was available in time she would like to go to the tsunami-stricken areas to see the children. She also said that she would sign and sell her albums in Beijing, Shenyang and Fuzhou and give all the revenue to those suffering from the devastation caused by the tsunamis.

In another development, CCTV's popular program The Same Song will hold a charity concert in Beijing to raise money for the tsunami victims.

In Hong Kong, entertainers have also come together in aid of the tsunami victims. A concert will be held Friday to raise funds for the tsunami survivors. Currently, the Hong Kong Performing Arts Guild is recording a Chinese version of We Are the World for the show.

Produced by songwriters Jonathan Lee and Anthony Lun, 70 Hong Kong artists recorded the song Sunday night. However, the number of people involved in the project will grow as singers from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan will add their voices to the song.

The song will be used as a theme song for the fundraising efforts.

Editor: Donald