Remembering Li Wenliang

Jìniàn Lǐ Wénliàng | 纪念李文亮

On February 7, 2020, Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at the Central Hospital of Wuhan, passed away from a new disease he had warned his colleagues about in a WeChat group just six weeks earlier. His warning leaked to the internet, alerting the public for the first time to the novel coronavirus spreading in Wuhan. Authorities reacted quickly, branding Li a rumormonger. In an admonishment notice from the local police station, Li was told to “stop the illegal behavior. Can you do this?” He responded “Yes.” Then they warned him, “If you are stubborn, refuse to repent, and continue to carry out illegal activities, you will be punished by the law! Do you understand?” He wrote, “Understood.” Li returned to his medical practice until he too fell ill. From his sickbed, he told Caixin news, “There should be more than one voice in a healthy society.” His death sparked an outpouring of anger, grief, and demands for free speech from Chinese internet users. His final post to Weibo, revealing his positive antigen test, has transformed into a digital wailing wall, with netizens continuing to leave messages for Dr. Li every day, even a year after his passing.

In this CDS exhibit, you can explore the memes, tributes, and artwork inspired by the life and death of Dr. Li Wenliang.

Memes of Resistance

• Can you do it? Do you understand?
• I can't, I don't understand
• There should be more than one voice in a healthy society
• we want free speech

China's Wailing Wall

@xiaolwl: Today, the nucleic acid test results came back positive. The dust has settled, there is finally a diagnosis.

Li Wenliang wrote his final Weibo post on February 1, 2020. So many comments have been left on this post that Weibo is no longer tallying them--there are over 100,000, with dozens still being posted daily. For a few hours on June 19, 2020, the comments were disappeared, but they were later returned to their place in China's wailing wall. Netizens continue to check in on Dr. Li and tell him about their joys and sorrows. Some write every day, while others "visit" Dr. Li more occasionally. People come because Dr. Li "listens," and their strength in numbers has largely kept the censors at bay.

Read a selection of translated messages below, and browse even more in the CDT Chinese archive.

April 7, 2020

60 days after Dr. Li's death

@不开心的苏肥肥i: Another sleepless night. Been feeling a lot of pressure lately. The company has already laid off many of my co-workers, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep my job. 

@刘北席yu: Remember to exercise, like you did in college. Take care of your health on the other side. Good night, my brother.

Translations by CDT staff.

Li Wenliang's Weibo profile

Tributes

Art

(golo 高佬 via 88 Bar)

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  (via Sinocism)

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  ("李文亮+护士+生理期" by lesley.scut is marked with CC PDM 1.0)

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  (Shanya via What's on Weibo)

Poetry

Mourning Li Wenliang	悼李文亮
Yu Xiuhua	余秀华
Now rest!	且安息！
There’s no virus worse than “punishment for speech”	没有比“以言获罪”更厉害的病毒
There’s no world uglier than one that mixes right with wrong	没有比黑白不分更丑陋的人间
Now rest!	且安息！
The Yangtze River’s waters carry boats and capsize boats	长江之水载舟也覆舟
The Yellow River’s waves ferry people and ferry ghosts	黄河之浪渡人也渡鬼
Now rest!	且安息！
Now let me live my shameful life	且允许我苟且偷生
And let me sing my angry dirge	还允许我长歌当哭
We are not afraid to die	我们不怕死
We are afraid to die before our time	我们怕死于非命
You died, and my time died before its time	你死了，我的命非命
If there are viruses in heaven	如果天堂还有病毒
If you speak up again	如果你再喊一声
Then where will you go?	你会去向何处？
I hope wherever they take you in	我希望收容你的地方
There are still people	还是有人
Who speak Chinese	说着汉语
(Translated by Anne Henochowicz)

• More poetry (untranslated) at CDT Chinese

Ephemera

• On Clubhouse, users set up a silent room to commemorate Dr. Li Wenliang around the date of the first anniversary of his death.

Further Reading

• Li Wei'ao, 纪念李文亮医生去世一周年 (On the anniversary of Dr. Li Wenliang's death), Feb. 5, 2021