Thousands of revelers filled a water park this weekend in the central city of Wuhan in central China, where the coronavirus first gave the impression of the vanquished last year, eager for the party as the city resumes its general life.
The popular Wuhan Maya Beach water park was filled with others by frolicking in swimsuits and glasses for an electronic music festival, many perched on inflatable canoes or swaying up to their chests in the water.
The water park reopened in June after Wuhan gradually opened after a 76-day lock and strict restrictions to verify the spread of the virus.
The park, which, according to local media, has limited attendance to 50% of its capacity, offers half-price discounts to female visitors.
An artist in a level display on the water’s edge greeted the crowd, clenched and waved his arms back, some photos taken with phones in a plastic wallet around his neck.
Another artist in a jet of water entertained his body flying over them with sparks in his back.
Part of the crowd had worn life jackets, but none of the tight revelers wore a mask while a DJ dressed in bright yellow headphones played on stage.
The first known instances of COVID-19 gave the impression in Wuhan to expire last year, a city of 11 million people, before the virus spread around the world, killing thousands of people and crippling economies.
The blockade was lifted in April and no new cases of national transmission have been officially reported in Hubei Province, where Wuhan is the capital, since mid-May.
To stimulate the local economy, Hubei’s government has presented a free entry to 400 tourist sites throughout the province.
China has largely controlled its domestic epidemic, but sporadic outbreaks and a summer of severe flooding have exacerbated economic consequences.