The united fight against China wildfire

SIR: As a Chinese saying goes, one side has difficulties and all sides provide support. Gradually accumulated and formed in the long-term common production and labour process, it has become a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. Because there are unforeseen circumstances and people have fortunes and misfortunes, people living in society will always encounter some unpredictable disasters and insurmountable difficulties, and need help from others.

On the night of August 21, 2022, a wildfire erupted in Jinyun Moutain, Chongqing, China, specifically at the section of Hutou Mountain near Beibei’s Xiema Township. To save the precious forest, people from all trades, far or near from the accident township, participated in the fight against the fire, including fire brigades, PLA soldiers, armed police, local residents, volunteers, and artists as well. Yes, the artists exerted and have been exerting themselves to help contain the fire and rebuild the forest after the disaster, in their own inspiring ways.

On August 24, the local poet and poetry critic, Professor Jiang Dengke of Southwest University (SWU), who is also a vice-chair of Chongqing Writers Association and a vice-chief of SWU Press, published his series of six prose poems in local media, praising in full earnest the fighters’ devotions, expressing on behalf of all locals the gratitude to all devoted to the fight, which inspired people all across the communities.

On August 25, eight performing artists from Chongqing Declaiming Artists Association worked together to have Professor Jiang’s prose poems recorded as reciting podcast, having it circulated to far, and having encouraged all trades of people to be devoted in the fire fighting and rebuilding after the disaster.

The fire not ended yet, a famous statue began to spread across the Internet, which is named The Motorcyclist Knight, depicting the valiant motorcyclists who upon the calling for motor couriers gathered immediately and began to rush and run with little rest for couple of days. The sculptor of this work, Mr. Tang Zhongguo, who is a freelance artist at Beibei, said he was moved by the young motorcyclists and he wanted to keep their bravery for ever with his sculpture.

Now, Mr. He Wu, a professor of English Language and Literature with Department of Foreign Languages, Southwest University, 50 years old, also a volunteer at the firefight, tried to co-translate Professor Jiang Dengke’s prose poems into English, with his American friend Edward Painter, former English teacher at SWU, hoping to share Chinese people’s bravery, unity and devotions with people from other countries.
Chu Maoming is China’s consul general in Lagos.