Wuhan in pictures: life before coronavirus

updated 5/18/2020

As China reopens, the world is beginning to glimpse the first signs of life resuming in Wuhan, the city of eleven million where the coronavirus was first documented. It might be forever linked in our minds with Covid-19, but what about the city behind the headlines? Spanish photographer Ik Aldama was there before the outbreak – his vivid photography helps paint a picture of a living, breathing city, with much to offer.

Among the fog of a cloudy day is the Wuhan city skyline, seen behind the imposing Millennium Bell from the top of the Yellow Crane Tower. Many of Hubei Province's finest poets and artists created some of their most famous and beautiful works while visiting this spot. The Bell itself weighs in at more than twenty tonnes, and makes a low, haunting sound when struck © Ik Aldama

Yellow Crane Tower Park reopened to the public on 29 April, after being closed for 98 days. The woodwork, stone carving, paintings and sophisticated tile work of the Yellow Crane Tower are exquisite © Ik Aldama

Entrance to the Yellow Crane Tower Scenic Area © Ik Aldama

View over the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge from the Yellow Crane Tower © Ik Aldama

Wuhan city skyline from the entrance to Yellow Crane Park © Ik Aldama

Yellow Crane Tower roof detail © Ik Aldama

Chu Castle and East Lake in Wuhan. East Lake is one of Wuhan's greatest treasures, a truly tranquil spot © Ik Aldama

Wanda Movie Park, a modern and sleek architectural stand-out © Ik Aldama

A public park on the roof of a building © Ik Aldama

Men chatting on Tan Hua Lin Art Street. The gorgeous area of Tan Hua Lin dates back to the 1800s – its buildings have been revamped and now host a range of restaurants, tea shops, boutiques and pavement cafés. Regularly visited by students, it's near to several universities and is one of the most bustling areas of the city © Ik Aldama

Wuhan street life © Ik Aldama

A street food cart in Wuhan © Ik Aldama

A girl poses at the Qingchuan Pavilion © Ik Aldama

Hubei Provincial Museum is one of the country's key regional museums, with a great collection of historic and cultural relics. The museum has remained closed since the coronavirus outbreak, but a virtual tour has become a reality on Google Arts & Culture © Ik Aldama

Hubei Provincial Museum exhibit © Ik Aldama

The Hilton Wuhan Riverside – along with other hotels in the Hubei Province – has served as a temporary home for healthcare workers for nearly two months as they bravely battled the epidemic.