The author, left, visits the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei province, April 22, 2021. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

When the coronavirus gripped Wuhan, I thought the city was in for a long and difficult period. How wrong I was became all real when I recently visited the capital of Hubei province in Central China.

The Yellow Crane Tower, which looks over the Yangtze River, is a major Wuhan landmark. The 1,800-year-old tourist attraction receives around 11,000 visitors every day. Next to the tower is a theater with a capacity of about 180 seats.

In this small theater, which was full to capacity, I saw a traditional dance show one afternoon last week. Sitting there in that small theater so close to other people was surreal. To say Wuhan is back would be an understatement.