Labor Day in China Holiday Stories Posted by sasha on Apr 27, 2020
This Friday is Labor Day (劳动节 láo dòng jié) in China and many countries around the world. Commonly known simply as “5-1” (五一 wǔ yī), it’s one of many short public holidays in China. Actually, it used to be one of three Golden Weeks (黄金周 huáng jīn zhōu) but it was shortened in favor of…
China Ends Wuhan Coronavirus Lockdown Posted by Ayana on Apr 13, 2020
Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, is considered the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. The virus likely jumped from animals to people in South China Seafood Market, where a variety of wild animals were sold. On January 23, the death toll from the coronavirus had risen to 17, all from Hubei. But the virus had already…
Coronavirus Situation in China Improves Posted by sasha on Apr 7, 2020
It’s hard to believe, but it’s only been 3 months since the first reported cases of the novel coronavirus (新冠病毒 – xīn guān bìng dú) in Wuhan. Just over a month ago, I wrote this update on the coronavirus in China. Is it just me, or does it feel like it’s been way longer than…
China’s Epidemic Heroes Returned Home Posted by Ayana on Apr 1, 2020
March 17 will be a day to remember (被永远记住的日子 bèi yǒng yuǎn jì zhù de rì zi). On that Tuesday, China began a withdrawal (撤回 chè huí) of medical staff (医护人员 yī hù rén yuán) from Wuhan, the city considered the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. At the beginning of the year, a new pneumonia swept…
Be Strong Wuhan Posted by sasha on Mar 18, 2020
With the whole world seemingly melting down due to the COVID-19 virus, I thought I’d take a moment here on the blog to share a bit of positivity. That’s why the title of my post today is “Stay Strong Wuhan,” although it can really apply to the entire world at the moment! Add Oil! If…
A New Chinese Phrase Posted by Ayana on Mar 16, 2020
How a modern term, created by a netizen on 2015, became a popular phrase honoring the new Chinese heroes fighting the epidemic. On August 2015, a fire broke in the port of Tianjin. Firefighters (消防员 xiāo fáng yuán) at the site, unaware of to the hazardous chemicals contained at the warehouse, tried to extinguish the…
An Update on the Coronavirus in China Posted by sasha on Mar 4, 2020
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you’ve probably heard a lot about the coronavirus (冠状病毒 – guānz huàng bìng dú). Ayana wrote a great, detailed post about the virus last month, so click here to read that if you missed it. In this post I’ll give an update on…