HONG KONG — The looming anniversary of a deadly Sichuan earthquake has been named “Thanksgiving Day” by local government officials, drawing scorn from Chinese internet users who feel the government should be honoring the dead instead.

The magnitude-7.9 earthquake on May 12, 2008, killed at least 69,000 people, including thousands of children whose classrooms collapsed. While the government directed substantial resources into rebuilding, the collapse of poorly built schools across the earthquake-prone zone remains a symbol of government apathy and a source of national heartbreak.

After Wenchuan County officials announced the day of thanksgiving to mark the anniversary on Saturday, the state news media described “beautiful, tidy buildings” that now populate the most ravaged disaster zone. The report noted that local residents often expressed their indebtedness for the “gushing springs of generosity” they had received — a sentimental adage.

Echoing the hyperbolic phrases used in the state news media, the viral news aggregator Toutiao said in a post that earthquake victims felt “gushing springs of gratitude” for the “big love” that streamed into the region from all corners of the country.