Wuhan pool parties bring post-lockdown relief in China

Night-time pool parties are proving popular in the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak as residents in Wuhan seek relief from lockdown.

For more than two months, 11 million residents endured a strict lockdown as coronavirus raced around the city in central China.

Now, some are letting loose en masse at night-time pool parties at a popular amusement park chain.

The Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park reopened in late June and the crowds have picked up this month.

Wuhan was the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China and saw the most deaths.

The city and most of the surrounding province were locked down from late January to early April.

People could not leave or enter the city and were mostly restricted to their homes.

The spread of the disease has been all but eradicated in China, though isolated outbreaks pop up sporadically.

Outdoor attractions and tourist sites have gradually reopened across the country with restrictions.

In order to enter the Wuhan water park, party-goers need to reserve tickets online in advance with their national ID number.

On the day, they need to present their ID and a green health code generated from mobile apps that track people’s movements and whether they are subject to virus quarantine.

The Maya Beach chain is holding similar parties at other water parks including those in Shanghai and Chongqing.