The University is to host a gala concert in aid of the people affected by the earthquake in China.

Featuring a mixture of Chinese and Western dance and music, the idea for the concert came from Chinese students studying in the University. They have, in association with the Chinese Consulate in Edinburgh and the Chinese Community in Scotland, put together in a few days a concert that would normally take at least a year to organise.

The concert will feature amongst others Yi Dong, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and a leading exponent of the zheng - the most popular national instrument in China, and students from the Glasgow Royal Music and Drama School.

Tickets will be available at the door on the night of the event and a suggested donation of £10 for an adult and £8 for a child would be welcome.

If you are unable to attend the concert but would like to donate, you can do so via the Chinese Consulate General from 9am -12pm, Monday to Friday.

The programme will start at 7.30pm and will end at approximately 8.45pm at McEwan Hall, Edinburgh on Tuesday 3rd June 2008.

The 7.9 magnitude tremor, which was focused in China's Sichuan Province, is estimated to have killed at least 68,000 people - and that toll is expected to rise dramatically as rescue teams reach the most affected areas. In cities near the earthquake's epicentre, over 26,000 people are buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

One county is reporting that more than 80 percent of buildings have been destroyed. The Chinese government estimates that as many as 5 million homes may have been destroyed.