One night in Wuhan: COVID-19's original epicenter re-learns how to party
People dance at a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
In a crowded Wuhan beer hall, Zhang Qiong wipes birthday cake from her face after a food fight with her friends.
"After experiencing the first wave of epidemic in Wuhan and then the liberation, I feel like I'm living a second life," says Zhang, 29, who works in a textiles shop in the central Chinese city that was the original epicenter of COVID-19.
Zhang Qiong, 29, wipes birthday cake off her face at a beer hall, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. "After experiencing the first wave of epidemic in Wuhan and then the liberation, I feel like I'm living a second life," said Qiong. REUTERS/Aly Song
Outside, maskless partygoers spill onto the streets, smoking and playing street games with toy machine guns and balloons.
Nightlife in Wuhan is back in full swing almost seven months after the city lifted its stringent lockdown and the city's young partygoers are embracing the catharsis.
In scenes unimaginable in many cities around the world reeling under a resurgence of the pandemic, young Wuhan residents during a recent night out crowd-surfed, ate street food and packed the city's nightclubs as they looked to make up for lost time.
People play with toy guns outside a bar at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
(Click https://reut.rs/3nC1ZdH to view a photo package of Wuhan's nightlife)
The revival of the city's hard-hit nightlife economy offers a glimpse into a post-pandemic lifestyle that many hope will become a reality in 2021, after the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
Wuhan hasn't reported a new locally transmitted case of the disease since May 10, after undergoing one of the strictest lockdowns worldwide.
People dance at a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
The city of 11 million was shut off from the rest of China in a surprise overnight lockdown beginning Jan 23, with road blocks erected and planes, trains and buses barred from entering the city. Almost 3,900 of China's 4,634 recorded COVID-19 deaths occurred in the industrial city.
Students, musicians, artists and young workers - the backbone of the city's nightlife scene - told stories of being stuck in their homes for months, many using the opportunity to prepare for a time when the city would recover.
"Some of my new music will definitely be about the pandemic time," said Wang Xinghao, frontman of Wuhan pop rock band Mad Rat, which drew a crowd of over 100 people to a local venue on a recent Wednesday night.
People celebrate a birthday at a street restaurant at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
Wang flailed and jumped on stage, pulling crowd-surfing fans on stage, and at one point, tossed his faux leopard skin coat into the screaming audience.
He said one of the new songs was inspired by the three months he spent living in close quarters with his mother.
Many said the end of the lockdown has inspired larger turnouts.
A man opens a bottle of beer with his teeth at a street restaurant at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
"During the epidemic time, Wuhan was really a dead city," said rock music enthusiast Yi Yi after the show. "Now people are all coming out to eat and have fun. I don’t think there were as many people before the epidemic."
Despite the thriving night scene, Wuhan business and restaurant owners say it could still be some time before the surge in turnover makes up for massive losses during the lockdown.
But for patrons now flooding Wuhan's nocturnal hotspots, the message is more straightforward.
People put cream from a birthday cake on each other at a beer hall, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
"I just really want to cherish this time, because in life you never know when it will end," said Zhang in the Wuhan beer hall. "Make every happy day count."
(Reporting by Cate Cadell and Thomas Suen; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
People eat at a street restaurant at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song People dance at a park at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A man drives a car outside a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song Waitress's stand at the entrance of a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A woman eats street food at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A man vomits on a street outside a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song People play the drums at a park at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song People wearing face masks take a ferry as they pass the Yangtze River at dusk, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A man's phone lies on a pavement next to vomit outside a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A man hugs his girlfriend on a street outside a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A woman drinks a bottle of beer at a street restaurant at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A man is helped by friends to get into a taxi outside a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A girl arrives at a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song People dance at a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song People dance at a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song Empty cups are left on a dining table after a dinner at a street restaurant at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A man with an injured foot waits in line as he queues up to enter a bar on a street at night, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song A girl dances at a nightclub, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, December 12, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song People wearing face masks walk out of a ferry as they pass the Yangtze River at dusk, almost a year after the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China December 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
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