The unforgettable Spring Festival of 2020
The Spring Festival of 2020 is destined to be unforgettable. Not because it brims with the sentiment of "unforgettable tonight" like the closing song of CCTV's Spring Festival Gala each year, nor because this year's Spring Festival was celebrated with splendor, liveliness, joy, and happiness by the nation. Quite the opposite—the Spring Festival of 2020 was spent by all Chinese people and Chinese around the world in profound grief, misery, sorrow, and frustration. The unforgettable Spring Festival of 2020 was the most tragic and unprecedented one the Chinese people have ever experienced.
This Spring Festival, we did not see the scene of "firecrackers bidding farewell to the old year, joy filling thousands of homes." Since the lockdown of Wuhan on January 23, 2020, the whole country has been on edge. The usually congested flow of people and vehicles seemed to vanish in an instant. Everything was empty, allowing your imagination to run wild, a vast plain for galloping! The streets were no longer bustling with traffic, shopping malls were no longer crowded with people, and hotels and restaurants were no longer thronged. High-speed trains stopped, flights were grounded, cruise ships halted, enterprises ceased production, offices shut down, schools closed... Everything came to a standstill, the world fell silent, as if even the air was about to freeze!
Cities were locked down, streets were blocked, communities and villages were sealed off. Every household stayed indoors, everyone wore masks, buses were empty, roads were deserted. People isolated themselves and cut off contact, banquets were canceled, gatherings were canceled, even family dinners were canceled. Meals were separated, dining was isolated, and people spoke from meters apart. Such an unprecedented scene of everyone feeling endangered and silent as cicadas in winter was all thanks to the "COVID-19" virus originating from Wuhan, Hubei!
In the Spring Festival of 2020, the entire nation and Chinese people worldwide lived under the threat of the "COVID-19" virus, passing their days in fear! The rhythm of everything in the new year of 2020 was disrupted. People's lives, work, and studies—all Chinese people were plunged into difficulty! According to predictions from international economic organizations and authoritative experts, China's economic growth rate would suffer a decline of at least 1% due to this damage!
"Natural disaster or man-made calamity"?! The world would say this plague is naturally caused, as its origin might still be from animals like bats or civet cats. Upon closer examination, people learned that the coronavirus had existed in the bodies of bats or civet cats for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, always coexisting peacefully with both humans and animals.
Why did it cross the boundary to harm humans this time? The answer is already clear: it is still a sin of humanity itself. Whether out of selfish greed for food, carelessness in "research," or poor management of animals, it is ultimately related to humans. Only then could the coronavirus invade the human body and bring disaster to all living beings! If it were only that, it might be forgivable; but this disaster has no "if." It is not merely the inevitable devastating result of the seemingly "forgivable" man-made calamity mentioned above! A greater reason seems to be human aggravation (by expert authorities? Or by managers 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 beginning of the incident (early December 2019), the cause of the virus had already been identified, yet the "experts and officials" were numb and indifferent, and even worse, they prioritized personal glory over the safety of the entire nation's people, rushing to publish research papers internationally instead of taking immediate action to save lives. They concealed the epidemic and suppressed whistleblowers, refusing to adopt effective measures to stop the spread of the virus or contain the outbreak, leading to not only Wuhan suffering, but the entire country, and even the world, ultimately resulting in a tragic outcome that harmed 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.
During the unforgettable Spring Festival of 2020, after returning to Shenzhen, I responded to the government's call starting February 2, 2020, and basically stayed at home in boredom, voluntarily isolating to avoid cross-infection of the virus.
Hundreds of millions of people across the country, like me, stayed home, wearing masks and gloves when going out, and disinfecting and cleaning upon returning. People lived in tension, fear, frustration, anxiety, and helplessness day after day...
During this period, there were rumors, boredom, reflections, and also creative ideas...
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 reason to believe that with the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the central government, and the concerted efforts of the people across the country, China will surely overcome the epidemic and disaster as soon as possible! We can look forward to clear skies after the storm. After the epidemic, people will undoubtedly burst forth with greater enthusiasm for work and passion for life. The Spring Festival of 2020 is destined to be an unforgettable one, and it will surely be recorded in history!
A casual note on February 15, 2020.
