Anna Hartley is an Australian writer.

She has lived in Paris and Beijing since 2011.

Her work has been published in The Washington Post, France 24, Forbes Travel Guide, The Houston Chronicle, The New Zealand Herald, The Vancouver Sun, the Beijinger, and Babbel Magazine.

Exploring the Ghost Town That is Beijing's Retail Mecca Sanlitun

There are some upsides to the coronavirus epidemic. For example, it is now possible to cross the intersection of Gongrentiyuchang Beilu and Sanlitun Nanlu/Beilu without fear of being flattened by a 19-year-old in a Peppa Pig-decalled Lamborghini or a sleep-deprived delivery driver. In fact, it's not even necessary to look both ways or even wait for a green light before crossing – the normally frantically busy intersection is now so quiet that you've got a better chance of successfully returning an item on Taobao than getting into a traffic accident.

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