The Battle Of Beijing: On The Frontline Aganist SARS

In the spring of 2003, Beijing found itself staring death in the face in the midst of a terrifying epidemic. A number of strange and surprising stories arose as a result. In the city of Langfang in neighboring Hebei province, people dug a twenty-meter deep, thirty-meter wide pit in the road, saying it was to prevent Beijingers from driving through the area, forcing them to turn around. One village relied on tourism from Beijing to earn money. Terrified by the possibility of contracting disease from fleeing Beijingers, villagers worked to erect a three-meter high fence encircling the village, with only two doorways for entry and exit. The doorways had manned sentry towers, where villagers stood guard with kitchen knifes and iron rods, ready to chase away strangers. When they heard that the people approaching were from Beijing, they drove them off, taking no heed of their protestations... The Battle of Beijing takes author He Jianming's first-hand experience and interviews with people in every aspect of the battle against SARS to create a true account of the horrors of the SARS epidemic.