Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai During the Epidemic, February 2020

11 Feb 2020

At the beginning of the pandemic, when so many were outside of the city visiting family for Chinese New Year, Shanghai's bustling city life came to a halt. The empty roads and sidewalks were eerily silent, as residents stayed safe inside. It was like a scene from a sci-film where the city becomes empty overnight, with no explanation as to why it happened, or when it would end.

We wanted to capture the feeling and the scenes of this peculiar time of Shanghai's history, so we took a trip eastward to Lujiazui, located in Pudong, Shanghai. As we looked out onto the vast emptiness, our minds reminded us of the overflowing streets and crowded sidewalks. But that day, the life once so vibrant on those streets seemed like a distant memory.

While driving through an empty Yan'an Road Tunnel, one couldn't help but feel a deep sense of emptiness and unease looking off into the stretch of vacant pavement; the now lifeless avenue stretching far east into the ominous skyscrapers.

It was an extremely challenging moment in time for all Chinese, as it was in cities across the globe, one after another. It was just like the proverbial darkest hours before dawn.

The nation and its people showed bravery, strong faith, determination, and solidarity to fight against this unprecedented epidemic.

Today, Shanghai has been revived to its former lively glory, but the scenes we witness at the beginning of the pandemic will never be forgotten.