BEIJING - A total of 442 Chinese police officers died in the line of duty and another 3,756 were wounded last year, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The figures were revealed Wednesday, Qingming Festival, a traditional holiday for mourning the dead, as police departments across the country organized activities to mourn late colleagues and visit their relatives.

The ministry also set up a special section on its official website as well as a microblog account at Sina.com in memory of the deceased officers, telling their stories and inviting the public to pay their respect.

"These police officers have sacrificed their lives for national security, social stability and people's livelihoods. Their deaths were heavier than a mountain, and they will forever live in our heart," top police chief Meng Jianzhu was quoted as saying.

Figures from the ministry show that some 10,856 police officers have died while serving their duty and more than 160,000 were injured over the past three decades since the country's reform and opening-up.