Photo: screenshot of an AFP tweet

Scenes of residents in Wuhan, the city that was put under lockdown for 76 days due to the coronavirus epidemic, dancing to the music while cooling off in a water park amid the summer heat have gone viral on social media including Twitter, but the reaction from foreign netizens exposed overseas "sour grapes" and also prompted some to reflect on epidemic control in their own countries.

The scene went viral after AFP posted a video of what it said was a music festival at a water park in the capital city of Central China's Hubei Province. AFP called it "Wuhan Wave," prompting some netizens to perceive it as implying there was a risk of a second wave of COVID-19 coming to the city. 

"Wuhan is partying when the rest of the world is suffering?" one Twitter user questioned.

However, such comments were challenged by other netizens who believe these activities were proof of the city's hard-worn victory over the coronavirus. 

"They were locked down for 76 days, one of the strictest measures we have seen so far. They took the hard pain, now come out of it so fully and are entitled to celebrate their hard earned work in crushing the outbreak," said another. 

"When the city went into lockdown to curb the contagion, some Westerners claimed it was violating human rights. When the city overcomes the virus and celebrates it, the same group said it was inhumane amid others' suffering. These people gonna criticize whatever happens in the city, because it's a CHINESE city," a Chinese netizen posted. 

Westerners would rather believe some completely unfounded conspiracy theory than admit China did something right, one Twitter user responded. 

the videos and images also prompted some netizens to start reflecting on their own countries' epidemic control work. 

"Quit with the blaming of Wuhan for COVID-19. The US needs to take responsibility for its (our) own failure," Twitter user Jennifer Slack commented. 

"These people deserve to have fun. When other countries return to normal life, we will party too. You just can't blame people for that. If you want to blame, blame people who have power and did nothing!" another Twitter user posted. 

Global Times 


Newspaper headline: Online attacks on Wuhan music festival shows foreign sour grapes