On September 23, 2020, a special exhibition about WHUers’ fighting against COVID-19, sponsored by Wuhan University (WHU) and named “We Are Together” was launched at the Wanlin Art Museum. Han Jin, secretary of the CPC Committee of WHU, Wu Ping, vice president of WHU, Shen Zhuanghai, vice secretary of the CPC Committee of WHU, and Tang Qizhu, vice president of WHU attended the opening ceremony.
Performance by nurses from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University
At the beginning of the opening ceremony, Vice President Wu Ping delivered a speech. Wu pointed out that the name of the exhibition carries a profound meaning, as “We Are Together” means that all the faculty, students, and alumni of WHU are together, all the people in China are together, and all the people around the world are together. Then, Yu Kexun, Senior Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences, read his original poetry named “I Love You, Wuhan -- To those fighting on the front line in the epidemic”. After a performance named “Thank You” given by 15 nurses from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, student volunteers sang the school anthem of WHU together. At last, Secretary Han Jin declared the official opening of the special exhibition.
This special exhibition, starting from September 23 to December 23, focuses on WHUers’ contribution to the fight against COVID-19. It is divided into four units, Technological Force, Life Above All Else, Together We Stand and Defend Our Common Home. Over 420 photos, around 30 pieces of precious video material and 140 facilities used during the epidemic were carefully selected and are now displayed in the exhibition, including the hand-painted wall of Leishenshan Hospital and the equipment utilized in the ICU.
Hand-painted wall of Leishenshan Hospital
Material objects in the ICU
According to Ni Wan, the deputy curator of Wanlin Art Museum, this special exhibition is the first one in Hubei province to record the fight against COVID-19 in Wuhan, which has been the main battlefield of the epidemic. Centered on the dedication and contribution of WHUers, the exhibition displays the whole process of this arduous combat from several aspects presented. Ni said, “None of the staff who participated in the preparation of this special exhibition had a single day’s rest during the preparation stage. We worked from dawn to dusk during the summer vacation, in an effort to present it perfectly. I was moved again and again during the preparation. Touching stories hide behind every picture painted by medical staff and every letter written by patients. Comprehending the dedication and the struggle that WHUers have made, I’m proud of being a WHUer!” When it comes to the novel ideas of the exhibition, Ni introduced, “There is a message wall on the second floor, on which visitors can share their thoughts. Notes in four different colors represent hope and vitality in people’s hearts. In addition, when the exhibition closes in three months, all the notes will be collected and edited, and will be published in a book in the near future.”
Notes written by visitors
After finishing their performance during the opening ceremony, the nurses from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University began to appreciate the exhibition. Yang Bei is one of them, and she once worked in Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital. She expressed her thanks to all the people who helped Wuhan during the hardest time. “At the beginning, we were in shortage of medical supplies and Leishenshan Hospital was under construction. Workers worked round the clock for days, supporting medical teams continuously who came from other cities to help. They are all heroes and the most courageous people.”
Autographs by medical staff
Organized by the CPC Committee of WHU, staff from the School of Medicine also came to the exhibition. All of them were touched by the docent’s detailed introduction. Yu Xiangting, vice dean of WHU School of Medicine, was very proud of the joint research team of WHU, as its detection technology featuring high sensitivity and high specificity has greatly contributed to epidemic prevention and control. He said, “Prof. Zhang Yuanzhen of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, in collaboration with other experts, has published an article in The Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and best-known general medical journals. The publication offers an excellent description of our technological strength and the fruits of our clinical research.”
Up to now, over 400,000 alumni of WHU, whether living in China or other countries, have donated more than 1.2 billion RMB to the fight against COVID-19, accounting for over 30% of the total donations. Countless WHUers have engaged in and dedicated themselves to the fight against the epidemic, so as to protect others from being affected. The touching moments that happened in WHU, in Wuhan, precisely epitomize the solidarity and dedication of all the Chinese people.
Photo by Tang Shiqing & Zhang Yifan
Edited by Qin Zehao, Li Yushan, Sylvia and Hu Sijia
