A shopping mall is decorated to welcome the New Year in Fengtai District, Beijing, December 10, 2022. /CFP
With the optimization of COVID-19 containment measures, Chinese capital Beijing has sprung back to life.
On New Year's Day, people dressed in festive attires were seen merrymaking in some popular business areas in Beijing, including Guomao, Xidan, Sanlitun and Wukesong.
"We are too busy these days, and no walk-in orders can be taken. Customers have to make an appointment in advance," said an employee at a beauty salon in Xidan, adding the shop caters to nearly 100 customers on average every day, and the earliest appointment is for January 4.
Long queues were also seen at many outdoor venues, such as the Taoranting Park, where families gathered last Thursday for ice slides, snowmobiles and other fun-filled activities.
"The ice and snow field in the park has grown by nearly 10,000 square meters this winter, and there are over 10 new free amusement activities," said Zhao Shuangle, head of the ice and snow carnival project at Taoranting Park.
As the capital hands out 30,000 activity vouchers in the snow and ice sector, the park personnel are motivated and confident, Zhao said.
Visitors take part in various ice and snow sports at Taoranting Park in Beijing, China, December 31, 2022. /CFP
Manufacturing, businesses going strong
Production at the second factory of SMC (China) Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan's pneumatic component manufacturer SMC Corporation in Beijing, is in full swing.
"SMC China's operating revenue is expected to grow by more than 10 percent in 2022, thanks to the recent increase in production capacity," said Ma Qinghai, general manager of SMC Investment Management China Co.
Li Xiaorong, deputy manager of a pharmacy in Beijing's Chaoyang District, has also been busy these days. "We have increased the supply of various medicines and medical devices. Our supply is sufficient," Li said.
A key player in China's consumption sector, the on-demand retail platform Meituan, said online orders for in-store catering in Beijing increased by 218 percent week on week from December 19 to 26, while orders for the Universal Beijing Resort increased by 120 percent week on week during the period.
Courier workers at a food delivery point in Dongcheng District, Beijing, December 17, 2022. /CFP
Transport, logistics back on track
Subway lines are also flooded with commuters and the morning peak on working days has returned to normal, according to Beijing MTR Corporation Limited.
People's demand for air travel has also been growing. The flight volumes of Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport saw a step-by-step upward trend, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)'s North China Regional Administration.
The CAAC estimates that the daily flight volumes of the two airports will soon reach 70 percent of the levels in 2019.
Moreover, the the e-commerce consumption of all kinds of food, medicine and household appliances continues to rise. The Beijing branch of SF Express said its nearly 400 outlets in Beijing have been in full operation.
"Now, the express logistics has recovered to a normal level, with the logistics timeliness resumed," said Ma Wei, head of JD Logistics in Beijing.
Visitors flock to Beijing Universal Studios Resort during the New Year's Day holiday in Beijing, China, January 1, 2023. /CFP
COVID-19 management
Starting from January 8, China will downgrade the management of COVID-19 from Class A to Class B under the country's law on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
Following the adjustment, China's COVID-19 prevention and control efforts will focus on improving people's health and preventing severe cases. Measures will be rolled out to protect people's lives and health to the utmost and minimize the impact of the epidemic on economic development and social life.
"The move aims to make the epidemic prevention and control more operable and targeted to better coordinate the anti-epidemic work with social and economic development," said Yin Wenwu from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
(With input from Xinhua)