Exhibition commemorates coronavirus fight
A calligraphy version of a message by Zhang Wenhong, head of a coronavirus disease expert team, says: "The winter will end and the spring can be expected. People are all safe and the world is in peace."
An exhibition featuring manuscripts of letters and messages related to the novel coronavirus pandemic and items from individuals and organizations battling the virus on the front line opens at Shanghai Library on Thursday as part of its World Reading Day celebrations.
Words written by scientists, medical experts, scholars, authors, translators, calligraphers and painters, sports celebrities and television hosts, will be displayed along with 30 objects donated by doctors and medical workers who served in Hubei Province.
The oldest manuscript writer is 98-year-old painter Chen Peiqiu, known for her traditional Chinese paintings. Nearly one tenth of the manuscript writers are aged above 80.
Pictures, manuscripts and other items came from organizations that included the volunteer expert teams of the Red Cross Society of China supporting Iran, the third group of Shanghai medical teams supporting Hubei Province and Zhongshan Hospital.
A message left by Zhang Wenhong, head of local coronavirus disease expert team who shot to fame in China with his views on fighting the epidemic, gained tens of thousands of hits on the library's official WeChat public account. It says: "The winter will end and the spring can be expected. People are all safe and the world is in peace."
Zhang’s original version was written on a memo card. Before the exhibition, Zhang wrote the library a new calligraphy one with brush pen.
Another exhibit donated by Zhang is a letter that Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US, wrote to him following an online live connection in which Zhang was invited to answer questions and give advice to overseas Chinese and Chinese students in the US about protecting themselves against coronavirus.
Dr Xie Jingyuan, who is from Ruijin Hospital to support Wuhan, donated 18 personal belongings to the exhibition. He stayed at the Tongji Hospital's Guanggu branch in Wuhan between February 9 and March 31.
Among the items is a sign board of his team, the seventh Ruijin Hospital team with the sixth group of Shanghai medical teams sent to Hubei, with all team members' signatures, boarding cards specially made for medics by airlines, the uniform of Ruijin Hospital's rescue team and postcards to family members.
A set of protective clothing worn by Chen Rui, a Shanghai Media Group cameraman, is at the center of the exhibition hall with 181 signatures of local medical workers from Huashan Hospital who supported Hubei Province, as well as a team flag with 163 signatures of the third group of Shanghai medical teams supporting Hubei provided by group leader Chen Erzhen, deputy head of Ruijin Hospital.
Artist Dai Dunbang, 82, known for his paintings of the characters in Chinese classics “Water Margin” and “Dream of the Red Chamber,” painted Zhong Kui, the mythological demon-killer in China, killing the coronavirus demon.
Yin Jia, a professor at Tongji University's College of Architecture and Urban Planning, made and donated a series of 143 woodcut illustrations of the experts and workers on the front line of the coronavirus battle. They forms a wall at the back of the exhibition hall.
The library's collection of manuscripts in connection with the coronavirus battle began in February. It is still seeking manuscripts and other items from the public. People who would like to donate to the library can contact its manuscript section.
Visitors will have to sign up online in advance and wear a mask as well as having their temperature checked before entering the library. The number of visitors to the exhibition hall will be controlled to prevent too many people gathering.
All the items used by medical workers, such as protective clothing, had been thoroughly sterilized before being delivered to the library.
A set of protective clothing worn by Chen Rui, a cameraman with Shanghai Media Group, is signed by 181 medical workers from Huashan Hospital who served in Hubei Province.
A flag signed by 163 members of the Shanghai medical teams sent to Hubei Province was donated by group leader Chen Erzhen, deputy head of Ruijin Hospital.
Artist Dai Dunbang, 82, painted Zhong Kui, the mythological demon-killer in China, killing the coronavirus demon.
Xie Jingyuan, a doctor at Ruijin Hospital who served in Wuhan, donated two airline boarding cards specially made for medics.
Yin Jia, professor at Tongji University's College of Architecture and Urban Planning, made and donated a series of 143 woodcuts of experts and workers involved in the coronavirus battle, which forms a wall at the back of the exhibition hall.
