GT photographer Li Hao: Beijing and Wuhan, my tale of two cities
By Published: May 20, 2020 08:03 PM
Editor's Note:
Wuhan has been revived from the deadly COVID-19 epidemic, but normalcy will never fully erase the memory of experiencing the catastrophe.
From the very beginning of the outbreak, Global Times (GT) reporters have stationed on the frontline in Wuhan.
GT photographer Cui Meng arrived in the city on January 30 and stayed more than 80 days to record the medical staff and patients in this special battle. Reporter Zhao Yusha and photographer Li Hao reached Wuhan in early April, right before the city's reopening.
They helped record and share the struggle and hope of the people as the city came back to life. Back in Beijing, they are willing to write down the memories from their past months on the frontline.
What did you shoot during the epidemic?
The tale of two cities - I shot people's life in Beijing and Wuhan under the COVID-19 epidemic, such as the closed Forbidden City in Beijing, and a wedding in Wuhan. I was in Beijing before April, during which I captured the public mood's change from tension to relaxation.
What are you concerned with most in shooting the epidemic?
I care about the change of life. I value the photos that can mark the special period. For instance, I often climbed up on Jingshan Mountain to shoot Beijing during wind, snow and smog. But during the outbreak, I took a picture on Jingshan on a sunny day with people all wearing face masks. It's special.
What do you feel from the people you took pictures of in Wuhan?
I did not have the chance to meet people from the frontline of hospitals. But the people I met in town are all positive in their attitude toward life. They work in different industries, and are trying to make their small homes or businesses run smoothly. People in Wuhan are outgoing, direct and talkative.
Which of your photos touched you the most?
Many photos, when I look back now, are not as meaningful as they were at the time they were taken. But there was one that I like particularly - two young men playing in the Yangtze River late at night in Wuhan. I found it magical. It shows the optimism of the Wuhan people, which is touching.
How have you found meaning in your work in the past months?
The pandemic is a big event in human history. It is very meaningful to be able to record it with my skills. My son is 5 years old now and he does not care much about what happened outside. I hope 10 years later I could show my photos of the epidemic to him and tell him: Look, you were staying at home those months.
Wuhan has been revived from the deadly COVID-19 epidemic, but normalcy will never fully erase the memory of experiencing the catastrophe.
From the very beginning of the outbreak, Global Times (GT) reporters have stationed on the frontline in Wuhan.
GT photographer Cui Meng arrived in the city on January 30 and stayed more than 80 days to record the medical staff and patients in this special battle. Reporter Zhao Yusha and photographer Li Hao reached Wuhan in early April, right before the city's reopening.
They helped record and share the struggle and hope of the people as the city came back to life. Back in Beijing, they are willing to write down the memories from their past months on the frontline.
Li Hao
What did you shoot during the epidemic?
The tale of two cities - I shot people's life in Beijing and Wuhan under the COVID-19 epidemic, such as the closed Forbidden City in Beijing, and a wedding in Wuhan. I was in Beijing before April, during which I captured the public mood's change from tension to relaxation.
What are you concerned with most in shooting the epidemic?
I care about the change of life. I value the photos that can mark the special period. For instance, I often climbed up on Jingshan Mountain to shoot Beijing during wind, snow and smog. But during the outbreak, I took a picture on Jingshan on a sunny day with people all wearing face masks. It's special.
What do you feel from the people you took pictures of in Wuhan?
I did not have the chance to meet people from the frontline of hospitals. But the people I met in town are all positive in their attitude toward life. They work in different industries, and are trying to make their small homes or businesses run smoothly. People in Wuhan are outgoing, direct and talkative.
Which of your photos touched you the most?
Many photos, when I look back now, are not as meaningful as they were at the time they were taken. But there was one that I like particularly - two young men playing in the Yangtze River late at night in Wuhan. I found it magical. It shows the optimism of the Wuhan people, which is touching.
How have you found meaning in your work in the past months?
The pandemic is a big event in human history. It is very meaningful to be able to record it with my skills. My son is 5 years old now and he does not care much about what happened outside. I hope 10 years later I could show my photos of the epidemic to him and tell him: Look, you were staying at home those months.
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