After closing the country off to the outside world for almost three years, China reopened its borders on Sunday, with Chinese citizens living overseas and foreign visitors arriving in time for the Lunar New Year without having to experience lengthy and strict quarantines.

China's move comes long after many countries reopened their borders and follows massive public protest over strict containment policies. It also comes amid a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths. Still, many people have received the long-awaited moment with joy and relief.

"After not being able to come home for more than three years, I'm finally able to spend some quality time with my family during the most important time of the year," said a Chinese citizen surnamed Zhang, who landed in the southern city of Guangzhou on Sunday morning.

Nearly three years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic began in the central city of Wuhan. People living there today said that despite the excitement about China's reopening, the government's sudden policy U-turn, and the growing number of cases, are still forcing many people to remain on high alert.

"Two weeks ago, if one person in the community tested positive for COVID-19, all of us would be put into centralized quarantine," said Andy Yuan, a Wuhan resident.

"And now, the government is telling everyone that COVID-19 is just another cold. It's hard for people to buy into the sudden change of official rhetoric on such a short term. Many people are still experiencing uncomfortable symptoms after contracting the virus and the difficulty to secure medications makes them panic. At this point, anxiety and concern are still the dominant attitudes," he told DW.

China's draconian coronavirus containment model

The reopening comes as China marks three years since reporting the first COVID-19 death. On January 11, 2020, a 61-year-old man in Wuhan died from pneumonia at a hospital, and days later, the city of 11.8 million went into total lockdown for more than two months.

Prominent Chinese writer Murong Xuecun, who documented the lockdown in his latest novel, said the lockdown turned Wuhan into a "prison-like city."

"At the time, hospitals were out of medications, communities were sealed off, and many Wuhan residents were taken into centralized quarantine," he told DW. "The draconian measures put Wuhan residents in dire situations and the Chinese government later replicated the strict policies in other places across China," he added.

"The initial measures imposed in Wuhan laid the foundation for all the information control, censorship, and arrests that took place later on," he said.

While the Chinese government lacked experience in relying on local authorities to control civil society during the lockdown in Wuhan in 2020, Murong said they became more familiar with how to tighten control at the local level during the Shanghai lockdown in 2022, causing a widespread shortage of basic supplies in the city.

"The decision to impose lockdowns in Wuhan or Shanghai all came from one man's will, and that person is [Chinese President] Xi Jinping," he said.

"In order to thoroughly implement the zero-COVID measures and demonstrate their loyalties to central authorities, many local authorities imposed lockdowns at some point during the pandemic. Some even imposed lockdowns when there were no local cases," he added. 

COVID in China an 'unforgettable trauma'

Wuhan resident Yuan said many people around him won't reminisce about their experiences over the last three years, and some describe life under the zero-Covid regime as "an unforgettable and traumatic experience" that they will always remember.

"Most people don't have time to recall what has happened over the last three years, because they have to deal with many problems they are currently facing," he said.

"A lot of public discussions are about when will there be another wave of local outbreak in China. Some are focusing on stockpiling essential medications, while others are trying to return to work, as many people have lost their jobs due to strict lockdowns. If we look at the whole society, one conclusion shared by most Chinese people is their frustration towards the zero-COVID policies," he added.

Throughout the pandemic, the Chinese government has been accused of using advanced technologies to enhance their abilities to restrict citizens' basic rights and freedoms.

Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Yu has been banned from boarding flights, buying train tickets, staying at hotels, or eating at certain restaurants because of the "abnormal" status of her health code, an application that Chinese authorities use to track citizens' travel history or medical records.

"I was unable to return to my home from August 17 to December 10 last year due to the abnormality of my health code or lockdowns imposed by authorities," she told DW. "The Chinese government's main goal is to maintain stability and restrict citizens' freedom. Their ability to achieve these goals has reached a whole new level."

A pessimistic outlook under Xi

As millions of Chinese citizens try to move on from the pandemic, some remain pessimistic about the prospects in China as Xi begins his third term.

"People with resources or the means will try to leave China and emigrate to other countries during this period of relatively loose control," said Amy Li, a Chinese citizen from Wuhan in her 30s. "Most people like me will have to adjust our mentality and prepare for the government's tightened control over society in the future," she told DW.

Chinese writer Murong said that since Xi took power, he has allowed the Chinese Communist Party's authority to expand while continuing to tighten control over civil society.

"The pandemic has allowed the Chinese government to expand their authority in the name of pandemic prevention," he said, adding that he expects Xi to hold onto the power he has accumulated over the last three years.

"When I look back to life in China in 2019, it has become a wonderful period of time that all Chinese people can't return to. I believe the Chinese government will continue to use advanced technologies to control Chinese citizens as well as public opinion on social media. Life in China will become more and more difficult," he said.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn