Shanghai

hen I fled Shanghai on May 13, the city’s most brutal lockdown to date was in full effect. Beginning on April 1st—although, for many, the closure of their residential compounds began in early March—the two sides of the Huangpu River, Puxi and Pudong, became virtually inaccessible to one another. Public transport had been halted, and nearly every intersection fenced and patrolled by police. Getting to the airport was far from certain, flying out less so. The airport had become a