An interchange in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province Photo: Courtesy of Zhizhu

Before the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, vloggers would spent much of their time recording their colorful and interesting lives in the developing city. After Wuhan became the epicenter of the viral outbreak, these content makers became special observers that took on the responsibility to record every minute of life in the empty city through their lenses, gimbals and drones.

"After learning about the big decision to lockdown Wuhan, the initial thought that crossed my mind as a film and television worker was to record it and open a 'window' for outsiders to learn about what is happening in the city," a local citizen and vlogger who goes by the name Zhizhu told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Zhizhu is one of the earliest vloggers to record life in Wuhan during the coronavirus outbreak. As of Tuesday, he has posted eight videos on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo.

"Each shoot is planned one day in advance, and many ideas are provided by my friends. I almost do not have enough time to prepare, so I just go straight into recording," he said, adding that he wishes time would move slower so he could better polish his videos.

Besides scenes of empty streets, Zhizhu focuses on the lives of ordinary Wuhan people and non-locals who were not able to return to their hometowns before the lockdown such as watching people buy instant noodles and fresh vegetables in the supermarkets, the couriers delivering goods and the sanitation workers who help keep the city running. 

 "I often see a lot of touching scenes while filming. I was touched by those volunteers delivering supplies day and night without complaint. And one of the most impressive stories was an old man in his 70s who pushed his wife who has diabetes in a wheelchair down an empty road as they planned to walk three hours from the hospital to their home, but I drove them in the end," he said.

Zhizhu's videos have earned more than 15 million views on Sina Weibo and have also gained compliments from viewers on YouTube where they are also available.

"Watching his video can calm me down. Under his lens, Wuhan doesn't seem that bad and everything is working well," one Chinese netizen commented on Sina Weibo.

In addition to shooting  vlogs, Zhizhu is also a volunteer who once helped medical staff with their commute. According to one video, a medical employee picked up by Zhizhu sent him a N95 mask to show her gratitude while the employee herself just wore a normal medical mask and does not have the willing to wear it.

"I hope everyone can see a part of the real Wuhan through my work. The warm stories that are happening in Wuhan can let everyone stop panicking and face things full of hope," Zhizhu said.

Zhizhu also showed his disappointment with some unfriendly foreign people who have posted insults online like "virus Chinese." 

"We Wuhaners are not a virus. We need more understanding and support," he said.