A teacher comforts Lan Xiao, an ethnically Qiang student from Dujiangyan's Yulei Middle School, who has lost contact with her family members.

As flags throughout the country fly at half-mast in a three-day national mourning period that started yesterday, images of those who died in the disaster continue to touch citizens' hearts.

Millions of netizens have likened one heroic teacher to majestic eagle: Tan Qianqiu was found under rubble with both arms extended, shielding four students from being crushed under a desk.

The four children were saved, but Tan, 51, left his wife and two daughters forever.

Tan's wife, Zhang Guanrong, cleaned her husband's face after rescuers pulled his body from the ruins of the Dongqi Middle School in Hanwang town, Deyang city, last Tuesday.

She recalls Tan getting up at 6 on Monday morning, the day the quake struck, dressing their baby daughter and taking the child for a walk before leaving for work.

At China Central Television's donation show broadcast live on Sunday night, Tan's elder daughter, Tang Junzi, who studies law at Peking University, said her father's heroism was characteristic of the man.

"He is the kind of person who must live for his students, even if it means failing his family," she said.

Teachers and students attended a memorial for Tan last Friday at Hunan University, his alma mater in Changsha, Hunan province.

"We shall forever remember the eternal moment. Your extending arms carry the full meaning of your profession and great love."

Kindergarten teacher Qu Wanrong knew there was no escape. The roof of her crowded class was collapsing, but she instinctively knew what to do. Her extraordinary bravery came at enormous cost.

Li Juan, head of the kindergarten, wept as she recalled her colleague's self sacrifice.

"Qu lay on her stomach. Her back kept the fallen cement board away from a child beneath her. The child is safe, but she has left us," Li said.

Huanhuan Kindergarten was in the town of Zundao in Mianzhu. About 400 townsfolk have been found dead, and many more were buried. More than 80 percent of the town's buildings collapsed.