China: one year later in Wuhan, an exhibition looks back on containment

Audio 01:10

Scene from the exhibition “people first, life first” on the Covid-19 epidemic in Wuhan, January 20, 2021. In this collective memory and these “ordinary heroes” validated by the Chinese state , do not include other whistleblowers like Dr. Ai Fen.

© RFI / Stéphane Lagarde

Text by: RFI Follow

6 min

A year ago, the city of Wuhan was confined.

11 million inhabitants and soon a whole province of 58 million souls in strict quarantine.

They were not allowed to leave their homes.

Wuhan people were the first to suffer the surge of Covid-19 and its share of suffering.

China has now almost brought the epidemic under control.

The outbreaks are isolated and the cases number in the hundreds only.

But in Wuhan, the scars are still there.

Since October, a vast exhibition returns to the confinement and the lived experiences of the inhabitants.

It is very successful. 

Publicity

Read more

with our special envoys in Wuhan,

Simon Leplâtre

and

Stéphane Lagarde

The tone is set from the start in this exhibition on the covid-19 epidemic in Wuhan.

Its name: " 

The people first, life first

 ".

To welcome visitors, a long timeline on a red background recalls the decisions made by President Xi Jinping.

Then a large screen shows him giving speech after speech.

But visitors do not seem bothered by the heaviness of the propaganda.

Because, it must be admitted, the rest of the exhibition is very well done.

Photos, reconstructions, there is even a crane truck from the site of hospitals built in two weeks.

{{scope.counterText}}

{{scope.legend}} © {{scope.credits}}

{{scope.counterText}}

i

{{scope.legend}}

© {{scope.credits}}

He no longer remembers

 "

At the exit, visitors are won over.

Wang Fang, 68, lost his stepmother to Covid-19 in February.

Her stepfather, 88, only survived after more than 50 days in hospital, part of them in a coma.

“ 

My father-in-law doesn't know what happened,

 ” Wang Fang tells us.

He said it to me again yesterday: he no longer remembers.

So one day when the weather is nice, I would like to take her to see this exhibition.

It is very well done.

You really have to come and see her!

 "

When the exhibition closes, a small three-wheeled vehicle sprays disinfectant on the esplanade outside.

A reminder that China is not quite done with Covid-19.

► 

To read also: Covid-19: in Wuhan, "we tried to meet the information needs of citizens"

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • China

  • Coronavirus

  • Confinement

On the same subject

Interview

Covid-19: in Wuhan, "we tried to meet the information needs of citizens"

Where does Covid-19 come from?

In Wuhan, China, the question divides

Reportage

One year after Wuhan, China is reconfiguring itself