An Unforgettable Spring Festival in 2020
The Spring Festival of 2020 is destined to be unforgettable. It is not that it brims with the sentiment of “an unforgettable tonight” like the closing song of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala each year, nor does it mean how splendidly, joyfully, happily, and blissfully the people spent this year’s Spring Festival. On the contrary, during the Spring Festival of 2020, all Chinese people and Chinese communities around the world spent it in immense grief, misery, sorrow, and frustration. The unforgettable Spring Festival of 2020 was the most tragic Spring Festival the Chinese people have ever experienced, unprecedented and unmatched.
During this year's Spring Festival, we did not witness the scene of "firecrackers bidding farewell to the old year, with every household immersed in joy." Since the lockdown of Wuhan on January 23, 2020, tension gripped the entire nation. The usually crowded streams of people and traffic seemed to vanish in an instant. In this vast emptiness, your imagination could run wild, galloping freely across open plains! The streets were devoid of bustling traffic, shopping malls lacked their usual crowds, and hotels and restaurants were no longer bustling with activity. High-speed trains halted, flights were grounded, cruise ships ceased sailing, enterprises suspended production, government offices stopped work, schools closed… Everything came to a standstill, and the world fell into silence, as if the very air was about to freeze!
Cities locked down, streets barricaded, residential compounds and villages sealed off at their gates. Every household confined indoors, everyone wearing masks. No one on the buses, roads deserted. People cut off from one another, social ties severed. Banquets canceled, gatherings canceled, even family dinners called off. Meals served separately, dining in isolation, conversations held from meters apart. Thus, an unprecedented scene of everyone fearing for their safety, silent as cicadas in winter—all thanks to the “COVID-19” virus that originated in Wuhan, Hubei!
During the 2020 Spring Festival, people across the nation and Chinese communities worldwide lived under the shadow of the novel coronavirus, gripped by fear and anxiety. The 2020 Lunar New Year disrupted every rhythm of life. People’s daily routines, work, and education were all thrown into turmoil. According to forecasts by international economic organizations and leading experts, China’s economic growth rate is expected to suffer a decline of at least 1% as a result.
“Natural and man-made disasters”?! The world would say that this plague is naturally caused by natural disasters, because its source may still come from animals such as bats or civet cats. After careful investigation, people have come to know that the coronavirus has existed in the bodies of animals such as bats or civet cats for hundreds or thousands of years, and has always coexisted peacefully, with both humans and animals living in safety.
Why, then, has it this time crossed the boundary to harm humanity? The answer is already clear: it is again a disaster of humanity’s own making, whether out of selfish greed for food, out of carelessness in “research,” or even out of poor management of animals. In short, it is related to humans, and only thus was the coronavirus able to invade the human body and bring calamity to all living beings! If that were all, it might still be forgivable; but this disaster no longer allows for any “if.” It is not simply that the above seemingly “forgivable” man-made disaster inevitably led to such tragic consequences! A greater cause seems to be human aggravation (was it expert authorities? Or administrators and leaders?).
This time, the coronavirus originated in Wuhan and ravaged the entire country (spreading globally). Due to the sudden outbreak, officials failed in their duties, concealed the truth, and lacked timely response, resulting in patients filling Wuhan, hospital beds being hard to find, and wailing everywhere! The severity of the harm, the intensity of the impact, and the tragedy of the scene were unbearable to witness—how could one bear it!
In fact, as early as the very beginning of the incident (early December 2019), the cause of the virus had already been identified. Yet “the experts and those in charge” remained indifferent and unmoved. Worse still, some, craving credit and acclaim, disregarded the lives and safety of the entire nation, rushing to publish research papers internationally instead of fulfilling their duties and immediately seeking ways to save lives. They concealed the epidemic and suppressed those who raised alarms, while refusing to take proactive and effective measures to stop the virus from spreading and to contain the plague's expansion, so that not only Wuhan suffered, but the whole country suffered, and the whole world suffered, ultimately leading to the truly tragic outcome that brought calamity to the nation and its people!
In the face of this disaster, besides identifying the root cause, we also witnessed sunshine, justice, kindness, and warmth amid the chaos. Touching scenes, inspiring stories, and heartwarming actions emerged one after another. When one region faced difficulties, support came from all directions. With a single order from the central government, the whole nation responded, nearly entering a state of wartime. The Party, government, and military mobilized together; workers, farmers, and businesses all contributed their efforts. Regardless of age or region, people across the country performed acts of kindness and donated generously. Countless individuals contributed money, resources, and wisdom, and a wave of national unity and human compassion swept across China. The spirit of Lei Feng shone brightly on all fronts, especially among medical staff.
Yet behind the sunshine, there are always shameful shadows. Acts such as concealing the epidemic, stealing credit, fearing disaster, and fleeing in the face of danger were not uncommon.
This disaster is yet another touchstone, once again revealing the brilliance of humanity and the ugliness of evil. People remember and respect Dr. Li Wenliang, admire and praise Dr. Gan Ruyi, and despise and condemn Gao of the National Health Commission, researcher Shi of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and various Wuhan bureaucrats. The Chinese people, with clear distinctions between gratitude and resentment, also remember the support and donations from the vast majority of countries like Japan and Cambodia, while never forgetting the evil faces of a few Western countries, such as the United States and Australia, that harbor hatred and hostility toward China.
In the unforgettable Spring Festival of 2020, after I returned to Shenzhen, in response to the government's call, starting from February 2, 2020, I basically curled up at home in idleness for self-quarantine to avoid mutual transmission of the virus.
Hundreds of millions of people across the country, like me, stayed home, wore masks and gloves when going out, and disinfected and cleaned up upon returning home. People lived in tension, fear, frustration, irritability, and helplessness all day long……
During this period, there were rumors, boredom, reflection, and creativity……
While actively fighting the epidemic and providing disaster relief, many people engaged in reflection: in the future, not only should we try to avoid natural disasters as much as possible, but more importantly, how can we minimize man-made calamities! For the sake of all people, may such a pandemic never occur again, or even if it does, may it not lead to such mistakes! What should we do in terms of mechanisms, policies, and the rule of law? Truly value the people's right to survival and enhance their sense of well-being!
I think this epidemic is undoubtedly a very unfortunate disaster at present. However, since it has already happened, besides actively responding to the epidemic, from a dialectical perspective, all the shortcomings exposed this time will surely be corrected, improved, and developed in the future. As the saying goes, the great harm of any negative thing will inevitably promote the emergence and development of positive things! From this perspective, the coronavirus outbreak triggered in Wuhan might actually bring about benefits for the health and hygiene of the entire nation in the future.
We have every reason to believe that under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the Central Government, and with the concerted efforts of the people across the nation, China will surely overcome the epidemic and disaster as soon as possible. We can look forward to bright sunshine after the storm. Once the epidemic is over, people will undoubtedly unleash even greater enthusiasm for work and life. The 2020 Spring Festival is destined to be an unforgettable one, and it will surely go down in history.
Random Reflections on February 15, 2020
