Vietnamese schoolgirl Nguyen Doi Chung Anh was forced to stay in her Hanoi home for months because of COVID-19 restrictions. The ten-year-old spent much of her time inside creating artwork. Her pictures explore both the sadness and the heroism of the world’s battle with the pandemic.
Chung Anh uses colored pencils to make her drawings. One picture shows the spread of coronavirus in Europe and America. It includes representations of famous national landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In the picture, the Statue of Liberty is crying.
Chung Ahn also draws pictures that representing Vietnam’s efforts to contain the virus. One shows two Vietnamese soldiers holding a passenger plane that has been struck by the virus. Another shows war planes from which medical workers spray the passenger plane with disinfectant.
Those pictures represent the flight VN54, which brought new infection to the country after Vietnam reported it was virus-free.“I drew this with hope that they can keep their spirits high to prevent an outbreak,” Chung Anh said, speaking of the frontline workers, adding “This girl is me, here I am drawing and these things are my imagination.”
Several pictures show the cruise ship Diamond Princess. More than 700 passengers and crew on the ship became infected with the new coronavirus. The ship was held under quarantine at a Japanese port for more than three months. Fourteen people died, all of them passengers.
Another shows doctor Li Wenliang of China. He warned about the danger of the virus in December, the month it was first reported. Chinese officials punished him for that action.
Many people consider Li a hero. He became infected with coronavirus and died of COVID-19 in early February. He was only 34 years old.
Chung Anh’s mother says the drawing is her favorite.
She said her daughter understands “the sacrifice of the doctors who risked and lost their lives.”
I’m Susan Shand.
The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.
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Words in This Story
spray – v. liquid that is forced out of a container in a stream of very small drops
drawing – n. a picture, image, etc., that is made by making lines on a surface with a pencil, pen, marker
frontline - adj. care workers, nurse, doctors and others who help in an emergency
cruise – n. a pleasure ship that holds thousands of people
quarantine - n. to isolate someone who has an infections disease
