WUHAN, CHINA
Xiong Feng, a 22-year-old graduate, teaches Wuhan’s only class in Voguing, a highly stylized dance form popularised in U.S. gay and transgender communities in the late 1980s.
Wuhan’s surprise 76-day lockdown, which cut the city off from the rest of China overnight on Jan. 23, began long before other countries began to feel the pain of the pandemic.
Xiong, like many other Gen Z people in Wuhan, saw his life, education and business thrown into turmoil. The pandemic meant he was unable to graduate alongside his classmates, and lockdown meant he lost the opportunity to form tight friendships at a formative time in his life.
“I think I’ve lost some friends. The relationship faded away because we didn’t get in touch with each other during the epidemic,” he said.
The city has now largely returned to normal though, after strict controls meant it has not reported a case since May.
For Wuhan’s Gen Z, the economic outlook is perhaps better than for some of their peers abroad, as businesses and offices have reopened and China is set to become the only major economy to grow in 2021.
Local businesses in Wuhan this month told Reuters that the crowds were slowly but surely coming back, and young people cooped up for months were looking to spend more on hobbies and social experiences.
For those like Xiong embarking on a first solo business, the post-pandemic flurry has helped attract new customers. For others, including Chinese who study abroad, the pandemic has proved difficult despite Chinas comparatively strong control over the disease.
Looking forward, Xiong hopes he can still be a trailblazer in the city’s growing LGBT dance scene in 2021. His Voguing class has attracted more students since the lockdown was lifted, as people emphasise lifestyle and leisure.
“I hope I can establish the first (ballroom event for Vogue dancing) in Wuhan in my spare time. Because I see cities in China like Shanghai and Chengdu have developed a very good ballroom culture, and I believe Wuhan can do it too.”
As the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, Wuhan suffered deep trauma during the first quarter of 2020, locals agree. But Xiong says the experience has yielded important lessons for young people in China and elsewhere.
“I think the world should have more peace and love, and people should not be fighting against each other anymore,” he said.
(By Sun Cong and Cate Cadell)read more
Scarred by 2020, Gen Z looks to a COVID-free future – The Wider Image
