To encourage organ donors and to raise public awareness about the issue, a memorial ceremony was held on Tuesday by the Red Cross Society of China, the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China and the Organ Donation Management Center of China.

The ceremony, held in a cemetery in Jinan, capital city of Shandong province, was co-organized by Shandong's health department and Shoufuyuan cemetery.

Over 200 people, including doctors, family members of organ donors, coordinators of organ donation programs, and organ donors from 19 provinces where pilot projects of organ donation have been carried out, participated in the activity.

China launched pilot projects for organ donation in March 2010. As of March 31, over 719 people had donated their organs, of which 1,964 were major organs, such as hearts and kidneys, saving the lives of over 1,000 patients.