30 Dream-like Pictures I Took In Xi’an, China During The Covid-19 Pandemic

I’m no photographer, but I always have my 70D with me. I like to capture life as I see it.

I lived in Xi’an, China for almost 7 years, amassing thousands of photos. 2020 came as a shock to the world, but unlike the rest of the world which had time to process the information before things started “happening”, people in China, such as myself at the time, had no warning before their world was turned upside down.

The day of the Spring festival (Chinese new year) was normal. That evening, though, bar owners and restaurant owners were ordered to close immediately. Without warning. The public hadn’t been told yet. The very next morning, communities were told to bar all entrances save for one, and to strictly control entry and exit. That afternoon it was announced that only ONE member of each household was allowed out every SECOND day, ONLY for necessities. Large parts of the city were banned completely. Never had I seen an organization on such a large scale, so fast.

#1 Peeky Husky

#2 Haz-Man

#3 Dayanta, When We Were Finally Allowed Near It Again. A Week After Lockdown Ended

#4 Usually Thousands Of People Are Here On A Quiet Day

#5 A Cleaner With Nothing To Do After He Cleaned The Day Before

#6 The Drum Tower. Never So Quiet

#7 Possibly The Busiest Intersection In The City, Now Just Delivery Guys And Bored Police

#8 Hard-Working Escalator Gets A Holiday

#9 One Of The Small Gates Through The City Wall

#10 One Of Many Streets Usually Packed With Traffic

#11 Uhm, I Don’t Think That’s How You Wear It, Officer

#12 Deliveries Had To Be Passed Over Fences And Gates. At The Time It Was A Crime To Even Step Foot Outside When It Wasn’t Your Day Allowed Out

#13 The Famous Bell Tower Of Xi’an

#14 Muslim Street/Quarter. Google This One. It’s Never Like This

#15 Never Imagined The Subway Being Quiet Enough To Hear My Own Steps

#16 Lone Duck

#17 Spoilt For Choice. On A Normal Day You Have To Squeeze In And Hope That All Your Extremities Are Clear Of The Closing Doors

#18 On My Little Ebike, Looking Towards The Bell Tower

#19 Lockdown Started Easing, Can’t Slack On Dance Practice

#20 People Weren’t Allowed Into Any Restaurants, So They Had To Queue Outside The Few That Were Allowed To Open

#21 Haz-Man 2

#22 Empty

#23 Policeman Checking If Drivers Have Permits To Be Out

#24 Walls Put Up To Block Entry/Exit To Communities/Complexes

#25 The Sleep-Anywhere Champ

#26 Dayanta (Big Wild Goose Pagoda) Where Usually Hundreds Of People Are Milling About

#27 Some Damas Out For A Stroll

#28 Out For A Smoke

#29 A Week After Lockdown Ended

#30 Out Cycling On A Shared Bike