WUHAN, CHINA >> The message was kept in a bouquet of chrysanthemums left by a mourner in the back of Wuhan Central Hospital in honor of a Chinese reporting physician who died of a coronavirus a year ago. It was simply the number of a verse in the Bible: Matthew 5:10.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” says the verse.
A year ago, on Sunday, Dr. Li Wenliang died of the virus first detected in this Chinese city. A small flow of people marked the anniversary with visits to the hospital on Saturday, some leaving flowers.
The 34-year-old ophthalmologist was one of eight whistleblowers that local authorities punished early on for “spreading rumors” about a SARS-like virus in a social media group. His situation, which was later made public in media reports, made him a powerful symbol of the dangers of going against official messages in China.
The Chinese public embraced Li, whose online presence painted the image of an ordinary person. His wife was pregnant and he would soon become a father. He sent the “rumor” because he wanted to warn others.
The public also saw when he fell ill with the disease he was warning about, eventually got worse and died.
Li’s death was initially reported by Chinese state media on the night of February 6, 2020, but the media quickly withdrew his reports. A few hours later, in the early hours of February 7, Wuhan Central Hospital announced his death.
The Chinese people mourned his death, both online and offline. The mourners brought flowers to the hospital, while some people online were furious and demanded freedom of speech – posts that were quickly censored.
Li’s death seemed to pose a challenge for the central government, as public anger increased.
“A healthy society shouldn’t have just one type of voice,” said Li in an interview with Chinese business magazine Caixin last year.
Central government officials conducted an investigation into Li’s death, concluding that the police officer who punished the doctor should be reprimanded. One police officer received demerit, while another received an official warning, according to state media.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the authorities published a question and answer, in which they noted: “Li was a member of the Communist Party, not an alleged ‘person who was against the system'”. enemy forces. “
Since then, the epidemic has been largely controlled within China’s borders, and the narrative has changed to one of triumph. China has just released a film – “Days and Nights in Wuhan” – that celebrates China’s official line that the measures taken, including the unprecedented blockade it imposed on the city, bought precious time for the world to prepare for the pandemic.
This successful narrative was emphasized more by the devastation the pandemic caused in many other countries. However, many questioned China’s response to the virus and its level of transparency during the first few weeks.
Only last month did China finally allow a WHO team to enter the country to investigate the pandemic.
Most of Wuhan has returned to normal, with malls and crowded streets, and there is little visible evidence of the suffering the city has gone through. Still, some of its residents mourn in silence.
Li’s death is still a sensitive issue and his family has refrained from giving interviews to the media. Although his profile on Weibo was maintained, there was no large-scale public memorial.
The person who left the flowers and Bible verse on Saturday declined to be interviewed, saying it was inconvenient.
Another couple who placed a bouquet in front of the hospital was instructed by plainclothes security guards to bring their flowers to the back of the building, where there was a garden.
A small collection of bouquets, some with messages hidden in the flowers, was placed there on Saturday night.
“Thank you, Dr. Li Wenliang,” said one.