KAI WOOD重庆国际传播中心2022-08-25 21:26发表于重庆

 

The summer of 2022 is destined tobecome an indelible memory for the Chongqing people, a summer where we weretested beyond measure and a time we came together to adapt and overcome. Longknown as a furnace of China, the summer of 2022 has made Chongqing thewhite-hot pinnacle of the unrelenting Chinese heatwave, up to 45 °C by day andremaining in the high 30s overnight. This has brought about cascading problems,including dried-up rivers, insufficient hydroelectric power, drought, andforest fires in 9 districts. Add to that a renewed epidemic outbreak, and thesituation is difficult and complex. But the people’s spirit is resolute andindomitable.

What I’ve seen is that when things gethard, Chongqing rises to the challenge. Without complaint, the city has movedto save electricity, reducing hours for shopping malls and construction,ensuring critical power is safe for residents, hospitals, and schools, anddiverting water to where it’s needed by any means necessary. To fight the fire,professionals and volunteers have come forward and given all their strength. Webattle the epidemic as one family, cooperating to overcome any adversity.

Exhausted, sweaty, and tired, we rest butdo not give up. Hemingway said, ‘A man can be destroyed but not defeated,’because we lose the fight only by quitting. The army has come to help fight thefires, and cold weather on the horizon promises much-needed relief fromscalding temperatures by the weekend. It may be the worst continuous hotweather since 1961, but every second we fight on brings us closer to victory.The night may seem dark, but when the first licks of dawn rise, Chongqing isstill standing, strong as ever. Perhaps stronger.

“Don’tfear suffering,” said actor Ethan Hawke, in a moment of stoic sage advice. “Forthe strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire. The facts are alwaysfriendly. Without a little agony, none of us would bother to learn a thing. Theearth has to be tilled before the seeds can be planted.”

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth”

Local eSports champ and Chess masterJoamie Lin and his friends, volunteering to keep Shapingba safe, fed, and wellhydrated through their lockdown. (Photo by Joamie Lin)

 

When former eSports champion andcurrent Chess master and instructor Joamie Lin (林九米), 26, found out Shapingbadistrict was locked down to control the spread of COVID-19 in Chongqing, hedidn’t think twice: he suited up in a hazmat suit and volunteered to protecthis community.

“So it’s been going quite well. My jobis to deliver supplies within the building and assist doctors with theirroutine COVID tests daily,” said the former University of British Columbia,Canada, computer science student. “It gets pretty hot in the suit in thisweather, but otherwise, it’s been quite rewarding.” He leads doctors throughhis complex, knocks on doors, and asks residents to provide their codes whiledoctors do their tests—all in the suit. “I also deliver supplies, mostly dailyfood, water, and such door-to-door. People order an unnecessary amount ofbottled water and beers,” he laughs. “That’s so heavy to carry around, and thesuit is required at all times, all part of our safety procedure.”

Whenasked about positive cases – 23 of the 40 cases for today were found inShapingba, he said, “Yes, there was one red case. We moved three floors ofpeople to quarantine as a precaution. But I’ve heard they’re living in a hotelwith delicious food. Spirits are high. People are a bit worried, but they havethe doctors and us to reassure them, so they are alert but not anxious.” Whenasked why he decided to spend his days sweating in a hazmat suit instead ofrelaxing and playing games in front of his air conditioner, he said. “Honestly,I just wanted to help. I was going to sit at home and play video games anyways;I thought I might as well contribute to the community and be helpful. ‘Serviceto others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth,’ I remember MuhammadAli said this.” Ali, the greatest fighter of all time, urged us to help otherspay our way through life. Pay it forward. And fight we do, on all fronts.

Volunteers win the hearts of the people while racing necessary supplies tothe firefight

Volunteer couriers, locals, andmotorcycle enthusiasts from all corners of Chongqing assist in deliveringcritical supplies up remote roads to fight the fires. (Photo by iChongqing)

 

Meanwhile,a local student at Chongqing University of Science and Technology, a24-year-old motorcycle enthusiast and social media influencer who goes by theinternet moniker, ‘Whale,’ has had a heck of a day. Along with hundreds ofothers, he has been helping deliver supplies such as fire extinguishers,mineral water, heat-relieving medicines, gloves, rubber shoes, chainsaws, andother supplies up dirt roads that are inaccessible to larger vehicles. In 40-44°C weather, they ride under direct sunlight for 20-30 minutes each way. Carscan not access these remote areas, so their job is essential, but it’sphysically exhausting. Sweat and dust cover the riders in thick layers of grey,and when a rider falls over or wipes out due to exhaustion, local villagershelp them back up, repack their baskets and packs full of fire fighting gear,and get them back on their way. Whale injured his foot while driving too closeto the wildfires and was treated at a hospital and released. “I must continueto fight!” he cried and returned to the front lines.

Motorcycle enthusiasts ride throughsmoke and fire to deliver essential fire fighting supplies on remote roads asthe people of Chongqing unite to prevent further disaster. (Photo byiChongqing)

 

Aviral video of a Western foreign guest on a motorcycle carrying a chainsaw andother goods has been circulating today, showing community spirit goes beyondChinese locals and includes all who call Chongqing their home.

Firefighters and thousands ofvolunteers work day and night to extinguish the flames ravaging severalmountainous districts in Chongqing. (Photo by iChongqing)

Artificial rain-enhancing planes arrive in Chongqing to quench the fires

To try to stop the fires from spreading to villages, other tactics arebeing employed, and in Beibei District, excavators spent the day digging a 100-meter-widefire isolation zone to stop the fire in its tracks. The military has lent theirassistance, and in the skies over the fire, artificial rain-enhancing planesarrived in Chongqing on August 23.

Artificialrain-enhancing planes arrived in Chongqing on August 23. (Photo courtesy of theMunicipal Meteorological Bureau)

 

“Captain, I can still fight,” shoutedYao Yu after waking up after fainting from exhaustion. He’d been fighting thefire in Jieshi, Banan District, Chongqing City. The Chongqing Blue Sky RescueTeam dispatched 176 people from 6 detachments to emergency rescue, and26-year-old Yao Yu was one of them.

According to reports, the main task ofthe blue sky rescue team was to establish a 60-meter-wide forest isolation beltfrom the foot of the mountain to the top of the hill to prevent the fire fromcontinuing to spread. As the chain saw in the team, Yao Yu was the mostcritical officer for this job. Sawing trees and digging trenches over and overfor 12 consecutive hours before passing out. They did not rest until the jobwas done.

Volunteercouriers, locals, and motorcycle enthusiasts from all corners of Chongqing toassist in delivering key supplies up remote roads. (Photo by iChongqing)

 

Meanwhile,the high-temperature weather caused drought disasters in 778 towns (streets) in36 districts and counties in our city, resulting in drought. Over one millionpeople have been affected, but workers and volunteers race to bring waterbottles and new pipelines to ensure all have drinking water. Of the 18 forestfires in the city, 13 of which have been extinguished so far, and the remainingfive forest fires are being put down, with no casualties reported.

Workersand volunteers strive to get new pipelines in place to deliver essential waterand supplies to villagers affected by drought. (Photo by iChongqing)

 

“Most mountain fires have beenextinguished, the fire situation is generally under control, and there are nocasualties,” said local representative Ran Jinhong. Thirteen fire sites had beenextinguished, and five fire sites are still being put out.

Bythe principle of “counties and counties fight early and fight small, close toeach other, and support each other at the municipal level,” as of August 23,the Municipal Emergency Management Bureau dispatched and coordinatedprofessional emergency rescue teams, armed police officers and soldiers, firerescue teams and militia at the urban level. A total of more than 15,000 peoplewere dispatched, and a total of 8 helicopters were sent to fight the wildfireby combining air and ground.

Firefightersand thousands of volunteers work day and night to extinguish the flamesravaging several mountainous districts in Chongqing. (Photo by iChongqing)

Chongqing central districts conduct nucleic acid tests for all in 24hrs

WhileChongqing fights to keep fresh water to all who need it and extinguish themountain fires, another fire is igniting in Chongqing. This new COVID-19outbreak has hit Chongqing’s core districts simultaneously. On August 24, themunicipal administration ordered nucleic acid tests for all residents incentral urban districts to control the quickly evolving pandemic situation.

Chongqing reported 40 new positiveCOVID-19 cases, 21 symptomatic and 19 unsymptomatic cases on August 23. TheShapingba District, where static management was enforced six days ago, reported23 cases, over half of the 40 total. Also, new cases were detected in four moredowntown areas, warning of the possibility of large-scale infection in an areaof 10 million population. It was decided that a large-scale nucleic acid testwould be conducted, including all residents in Chongqing’s nine urban centerdistricts.

From midnight on August 24, all peoplein the region received an orange pop-up notification on their health QR codeuser interface. Certain public areas will be restricted to those with orangepop-up messages. When people completed one nucleic acid test on August 24, theorange pop-up notifications returned to a healthy green. Elderly, disabled,chronic disease patients, and special needs individuals would receive homevisits for testing.

AniChongqing reporter observed during the day that several temporary testinglocations had been set up on the sidewalks in Jiulongpo District. As theresults roll in, certain smart lockdowns of XiaoQu (communities) and evenentire districts will close temporarily to halt the spread of the virusoutbreak, and most people in Chongqing have decided to stock up on necessitiesand bunker down until its once again under control.

Mostof Chongqing lined up for COVID tests on August 24 to ensure the safety ofChongqing. (Photo by iChongqing)

 

“Strength through adversity. Thestrongest steel is forged by the fires of hell. It is pounded and struckrepeatedly before it’s plunged back into the molten fire. The fire gives itpower and flexibility, and the blows give it strength. Those two things makethe metal pliable and able to withstand every battle it’s called upon to fight.(Savitar)” ― Sherrilyn Kenyon, in the novel Devil May Cry

Whetherfire, drought, or a renewed outbreak, Chongqing people might be suffering, butthey display unrelenting resilience, perseverance, and an indomitable spirit intimes of trouble. As a community, we show humanity, kindness, and generosity aswe work together to overcome any obstacles we face because we are strong enoughto face any challenge. There’s strong, and then there’s ChongqingStrong, and with the challenges ahead of China and the West, Chongqing canserve as a paragon of virtue and community spirit to inspire the rest of usthat (We > I) we are better together.