Cement trucks at coronavirus hospital sites in China are now celebrities

There’s concrete evidence the construction of hospitals in Wuhan for coronavirus victims is providing widespread entertainment – with 40 million people watching the action online giving cement trucks nicknames, according to reports.

Workers in the epicenter city in central China are building the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals, both of which will be ready to treat patients in the first week of February, according to the BBC.

Meanwhile, China Central Television has been providing livestreams of the construction, attracting more than 40 million viewers who’ve posted comments such as, “You are the heroes” and “Cheer up, Wuhan,” as well as emojis of the national flag, the Global Times reported.

Fans across the globe also have been tuning in to the construction on YouTube and Periscope, which also have been running livestreams of the very popular, rumbling cement mixers, including “The Cement King,” “Big White Rabbit” and “The White Roller.”

One cement mixer was named Song Huizong, after an ancient emperor, the BBC reported.

Meanwhile, other heavy vehicles also have achieved fame, such as a large flat-bed truck named “Brother Red Bull” and two cute diggers given affectionate names based on their color — “Little Yellow” and “Little Blue.”

CCTV also set up an “epidemic 24/7” page into messaging app WeChat, where users can vote for their favorite vehicles – and the undisputed stars are the small forklifts collectively known as “folkchan.”

Searches of “folkchan” on the popular Sina Weibo microblog bring up fan art and tributes to the vehicles, which users called “the loveliest little world guardians.”

Fan groups of “online overseers” also have been formed to cheer on the vehicles.

“Let’s guard the prettiest and most hard-working folkchan in the world!” wrote a Sina Weibo user.

“Joining in the construction process shows the people’s confidence in Chinese efficiency,” Shi Wenxue, a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy and a culture critic, told the Global Times.

Shi said the nicknames for the vehicles are more than entertainment.

“In 10 days, the two hospitals are being built from scratch and are expected to be put into use and save patients’ lives. It also gives net users a sense of pride and achievement,:” Shi said.

“The participation of ‘overseers’ shows young Chinese people’s concern regarding the epidemic. They would be warriors given in any battle situation.”