Leishenshan Hospital construction worker dances his way into netizens’ hearts

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

                                                                                                                                      — Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

A recent video showing a young man hip-hop dancing in the Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan went viral on the Chinese internet. His simple but powerful dance moves won plaudits from netizens around the country, who may be surprised to learn he is not a dancer, but an ordinary frontline worker.

His name is Kuang Wenbo, a builder and maintenance worker at Leishenshan Hospital, one of the two emergency hospitals Wuhan built in less than three weeks in response to the novel coronavirus.

In late January this year, Kuang ended his work for the year and returned to his home in Wuhan to spend the Chinese New Year with his parents. After hearing that the Leishenshan Hospital was in need of more construction workers, he immediately went to the construction site to offer his services.

Kuang Wenbo works in the Leishenshan Hospital. (Photo/myzaker.com)

As a member of the post-90s generation, Kuang said he was duty bound to join the battle against virus. “Wuhan is sick. As a local, I must do something for my hometown,” said Kuang.

On January 26, as soon as Kuang arrived at the Leishenshan Hospital, he put on his helmet and got to work, not resting until 4 a.m. the next morning. “When I first came here, there were already two or three hundred workers. Everyone was working overtime and the schedule was very tight.”

As a hydro-electrician, Kuang was mainly responsible for the installation of water and electricity in each part of the hospital.

Building a hospital in a matter of days is no easy task. Kuang only slept three or four hours per day, but never complained. "The faster we built the hospital, the earlier patients could be treated,” he said.

Kuang Wenbo works in the Leishenshan Hospital. (Photo/myzaker.com)

Kuang is one of thousands of construction workers at the Leishanshan Hospital, whose round-the-clock efforts meant the hospital was built in just 18 days. The average working time of the construction workers at the Leishenshan Hospital reached 15 hours per day.

Kuang Wenbo’s mission continued even after construction was completed. From February 14, Kuang took charge of the repair and maintenance of the medical areas in the hospital.

Kuang remembered that one night after completing a routine investigation, he received a phone call saying that medical staff had no hot water in their rooms. After feeling a pang of anxiety, Kuang immediately went there to fix the problem.

“The medical workers work so hard. They get soaked in sweat every day due to long periods wearing protective gear, so I must make sure they can get a warm shower after coming back from work,” said Kuang.

Learning from this experience, Kuang became more meticulous in his work. He often said that he is not only a member of maintenance staff at the Leishenshan Hospital, but also a guardian for the “white angels”. “Letting them live well and sleep soundly is our greatest responsibility,” said Kuang.

On February 20, when Kuang saw how exhausted his colleagues and medical workers were after a long day’s work, he decided on a whim to do a hip-hop dance to cheer them up.

A video of him dancing was later posted online by his colleagues and immediately drew nationwide attention, earning him the nickname “Leishenshan Hip-hop Boy”. Many netizens applauded his cool dance steps and his upbeat attitude, and expressed respect for him and the frontline workers in Wuhan.

“What a nice dance! Though the work is hard, you could still feel the beauty of life by enjoying your hobby,” read one Sina Weibo comment, while other netizens pleaded with him to protect himself during this moment of crisis.

Kuang Wenbo works in the Leishenshan Hospital. (Photo/cjn.cn)

Kuang’s home is only six kilometers from the hospital, but he has not seen his family in over two months. Though his parents worry about his safety, they still support his decision. Kuang always tells his parents, “I’m safe here. Don't worry. I'll take care of myself.”

Kuang was delighted to see more and more patients being discharged and more medical teams leaving the hospital as they successfully completed their mission. In a sign that the coronavirus crisis is being brought under control in Wuhan, the Leishenshan Hospital shut down the last general ward area on April 9.

Kuang is proud of the part he played in the fight against coronavirus. “In one’s life, there may not be many things to be particularly proud of,” he said.

“My time in Leishenshan Hospital is my proudest moment”.