For most people still living in lockdown around the world, they can only dream of a party like the one in Wuhan, China.

Here young people crowd surf, pack nightclubs and bars without masks, and chow down on street food.

The central Chinese city was the original epicentre of COVID-19, but seven months after coming out of one of the world's most strict lockdowns. Its nightlife is back in full swing.

Wuhan's revival is a glimpse into a post-pandemic world that many hope for in 2021 after the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

Yi Yi is a Wuhan resident:

"During the epidemic time Wuhan was really a dead city. But after it reopened, I had never seen so many people. Now people are all coming out to eat and have fun."

At the start of this year, the industrial city of 11 million was isolated from the rest of the country with road traffic all but cut off.

Almost 3,900 of China's 4,634 recorded COVID-19 deaths were in Wuhan.

The city hasn't reported a new locally transmitted case since early May, but its economy is still recovering from massive losses during the lockdown, especially hotels and restaurants.

For now, partygoers like Zhang Qiong are happy re-discovering Wuhan's nocturnal hotspots:

"After experiencing the first wave of epidemic in Wuhan and then the liberation, I feel like I'm living a second life. I just really want to cherish this time, because in life you never know when it will end."