The Wuhan coronavirus has dominated the news cycle lately around the world. My brother, Harry, and I had already planned a trip to Shenzhen, China, on Friday, Jan. 24, to visit our parents over the Lunar New Year.

We chatted with our parents about postponing the trip. They told us that it would be hard for them to take time to spend with us in the coming months and that the risk in Shenzhen seemed low. Because of that, we decided to continue with our trip, while keeping an eye on the news.

We found a China unlike anything weve seen before, with a fascinating mix of calm and fear. Heres a few snippets of life on the ground.

Everything the media broadcasts or the government does centers around coronavirus.

The government in China is all-encompassing: Power is centralized in a huge bureaucracy that emanates from the national Communist Party in Beijing.

Early on, the government was criticized for its slow response to the disease. But now, its response has swung so far the other way, its hard to keep track of all the measures its taking.

• Buses and trains crossing provincial lines in over half of Chinas provinces have been canceled.

• Movie theaters, museums and other enclosed public spaces have been ordered to be closed.

• And of course, Wuhan and other cities in the province of Hubei have prevented their locals from leaving.

That last one is mind-boggling. Wuhan is a city of 11 million, and one of the 10 largest cities in China. Think of sealing Los Angeles off from the outside world. The fact that this is possible at all speaks to the strength of the state, for better or for worse.

Another really interesting manifestation of the power of government is the news. The coronavirus may be big news internationally, but in China, its the only news right now.

Here are some articles about the coronavirus from outside China. Most articles are factual, but somewhat sensational.

• Coronavirus death toll in China hits 41 as medical staff struggle to cope (CNN )

• Alarm Grows as Markets Tumble and Death Toll Rises (The New York Times)

• (This ones admittedly a bit farther out, but is more representative of the tabloid journalism out there) Coronavirus horror: Social media footage shows infected Wuhan residents act like zombies (Daily Express, UK)

On the other hand, heres a sample of Chinese domestic news at the top of QQ News and Todays Headlines.

• Xi Jinping gives four keys to winning the fight against the virus : This is consistently the top article across both QQ and Todays Headlines. The four keys are , which roughly translated, mean firmly believe/have confidence in the government; cooperate; use scientific disease control methods; and apply targeted government policies. (It sounds a lot more poetic in Chinese, I swear!) This ones clearly a government puff piece highlighting how, thanks to socialism with Chinese characteristics, theyve built a hospital in six days, dispatched thousands of doctors to Wuhan, and are coordinating scientific research.

• Prevention and control of the new coronavirus is the most important thing for us right now : This articles a detailed explanation of why the governments taking the measures it is, and recommends everyone to 1) frequently wash hands, 2) wear a mask when going outside, 3) avoid closed and crowded public places, 4) keep indoor areas well-ventilated, and 5) maintain good hygiene when cooking and eating. Overall, fairly well-considered advice all around!

• How could someone be asymptomatic after infection? Should I be afraid? See what the experts say : This article talks about how symptom presentation can vary a lot from person to person, and how theres a lot we still dont know the only way to know for sure if anyone has the disease is by running a test on the genome of the virus.

Now, many of you might roll your eyes at the propagandistic tone of the first article. But the other two articles are measured, fact-based articles with good advice and just the right dose of alarm. Id take articles Nos. 2 and 3 over the international news pieces, which come with little science or practical advice attached.

To be fair, theres similar articles in the American press like The Atlantics and Ars Technicas excellent takes, but by and large, the news focuses much more on sensationalizing the numbers without presenting them in context.

Likewise, TV news aims to strike the right balance between alarm and assurance. The nightly news in Shenzhen is a prime example. Local news sources have not only reported on the increasing case count, but have also written stories about how many recovered patients have been released . Another local news report showed the reporter walking through the wholesale markets in Shenzhen and informing viewers that food supplies are sufficient .

While Chinas tight control of the media has many pitfalls, it seems uniquely well-suited for keeping an epidemic under control.

Everyones fearful of people traveling from Hubei.

On one of the tallest buildings in Shenzhen has been displaying projected text that reads , or God bless Wuhan. The nightly news shows Li Keqiang, Chinas premier and second in command, rallying medical workers in Wuhan with cheers of (Keep it up, Wuhan!).