Medics Draw Cartoons on Ward Wall to Cheer up COVID-19 Patients

Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows cartoons on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Fei Maohua]

DALIAN, March 5 (Xinhua) — Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of a makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online.

The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan.

Liu Yu, a post-90s nurse in Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, is one of the artists of those more than 30 wall paintings. She is also one of the 500 medical personnel sent to Wuhan from Dalian on Feb. 8 to aid local colleagues to treat patients and contain the virus spread there.

"I started to draw a cartoon on the corridor wall of ward A2 in Leishenshan. That helped me relieve pressure after a day's work," said the nurse. "More and more colleagues and patients come to see those pictures. I never expect them to become so popular."

Liu's first cartoon tells a story about Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles. Personified oysters encourage hot-dry noodles to stay strong with the message: "Wuhan, please hang on!"

"I used the signature snack of my hometown to show our support for the virus-hit Wuhan," said Liu.

Many of Liu's colleagues who used to draw pictures and write words on their protective suits to cheer up each other and patients also join her.

Doctor Wang Wei from Dalian drew a picture of the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower. "They symbolize the 'heart-to-heart' solidarity between Dalian and Wuhan people."

Among those wall paintings, the one that touches Wang and other medical staff most is a portrait of Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory specialist, with the words: Wuhan is a heroic city, and people of Hubei and Wuhan are heroic people.

"Everyday, we are impressed by the heartwarming and strong Wuhan people," said Liu. "I still remember the first day when I arrived at Leishenshan Hospital. A local shuttle bus driver made a deep bow and expressed appreciation toward us."

Tiger Beach Ocean Park, Xinghai Square... Pictures of famous tourist attractions in Dalian have emerged on the drawing wall in recent days. "This is a travel itinerary we make for patients. I hope they can visit these famous scenic spots in my hometown after they recover," Liu said.

"When I drew the Yellow Crane Tower, I made a decision that I would visit the tower and enjoy the beautiful scenery of this heroic city after the epidemic ends," said Wang.

Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows a cartoon on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Fei Maohua]

Zhang Ling, a medical worker from KingMed Diagnostics Group, poses with a drawing on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 4, 2020. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Cheng Min]

Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows a cartoon on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Cheng Min]

Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows a cartoon on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Cheng Min]

Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows a cartoon on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Fei Maohua]

Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows a cartoon on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Fei Maohua]

Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows a drawing on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Fei Maohua]

Xu Xinyan, a worker from China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd., draws on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 4, 2020. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Fei Maohua]

Chen Liya, a medical worker from the First Hospital of Wuhan, takes photos of a painting on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 4, 2020. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Cheng Min]

Photo taken on March 4, 2020 shows drawings on the wall of a corridor at the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Dalian's oysters and Wuhan's hot-dry noodles, as well as the Dalian Railway Station and Wuhan Yellow Crane Tower, lovely cartoon pictures drawn on the ward wall of the makeshift hospital in Wuhan have gone viral online. The pictures are signature snacks and landmarks of the Chinese cities of Dalian and Wuhan. [Xinhua/Fei Maohua]