Tourists start returning to Wuhan's attractions

The city which was once ground zero of the global health crisis is now a flurry with visitors strolling with camera in hand, taking pictures in front of the main attractions.

It's an image the authorities are keen to show.

Life has gradually been returning to Wuhan since April, when the city began lifting a lockdown which had lasted for over two months -- one of the strictest in the world.

And now -- it's offering free entry to famed tourist sites like the Yellow Crane Tower for domestic travellers to revive its battered tourism industry.

Mei Jie is a tourist from Huanggang, another city in China's Hubei province:

"Yes, I saw on the internet that our Hubei government launched a policy that all Level A attractions in Hubei are free entry for now, so I came back to Wuhan for a tour. It offers an opportunity for tourists from other cities like us to know what Wuhan, a hero city, has been through."

And staying active and awake late into the night, the city's Dacheng road night market is packed with eager customers queueing up to grab a bite to eat -- and even get their nails done.

Liu Shaochang, a toy vendor at the market, says the boost in tourism provides some much-needed cash flow:

"We need help (from the government). If the tourism industry is good, we will have more tourists from other cities. The more people come to the night market, the more sales we can make. We need tourists from other cities to shop here."

And it isn't just tourism sites re-opening helping to get Wuhan back on its feet.

Over 2,800 schools kicked off their new term this week, opening the doors to some 1.4 million students for the first time since January.

The city said it has drawn up emergency plans to switch back to online teaching should risk levels change.

Wuhan University has also reopened, welcoming back students all masked up ready to begin class.