As darkness falls, a drone ascends slowly, its rotors whirring like the wings of a hummingbird. It begins roving over high-rises, bridges, expressways and weaves its way through dazzling modern and ancient architecture in downtown Wuxi of East China's Jiangsu province.
This is how Wu Yidi spent his nights ahead of this past Spring Festival in February, testing out his new toy - a DJI Mavic 3 consumer drone - using the 4G network in his hometown.
"I just couldn't wait to have a go at its enhanced image transmission, which is said to have higher quality and stability," Wu told China Daily in a recent interview. "And of course I need the signals by my side."
The trial flights were far from failure. In fact, the 28-year-old amateur pilot was enthralled by the much-improved picture quality, which led to him making a popular drone video.
The decisive moment came on Jan 30, when Wu steered the 900-gram vehicle along the route of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and a string of waterways downtown.
In a 28-minute flight covering roughly 19.7 kilometers, the drone shot stunning footage from a new perspective, most prominently the city's varied bridges spanning multiple eras and architectural styles.
"I chose bridges mainly because there was nothing blocking them," Wu said."I think it is a great medium to connect the footage and form a complete story."
Wu edited that raw footage into a five-minute video and uploaded it to Bilibili on Feb 3. The site is an online video-sharing platform popular among younger generations.
Drones are seen at an aerial photography contest in Wuxi on May 10, 2020. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The work proved to have struck an empathetic chord among viewers, as it garnered tens of thousands of clicks in just three weeks along with plentiful feedback from the community.
"I love it! Chinese cities look great at night," commented Jeffrey Stevens, an American internet user.
The video has aroused nostalgic sentiment among those who share a bond with Wuxi, whether current or former residents.
"I recognize my childhood neighborhood. But many buildings in my memory have gone now," one Bilibili user said.
"Night lights bring out the true beauty of our city!" Peter Stanleigh wrote on Facebook. "After more than 20 years, we still look forward to re-discovering Wuxi's hidden beauty."
The viewing experience was possible thanks to the extensive 4G network coverage in Wuxi, a symbol of technological development, according to Wu.
"I'm proud of my city. It is one of the best in terms of network infrastructure. It is even comparable to first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shenzhen."
Motivated by the video's unexpected popularity, Wu said he is planning to produce more drone videos in the future to help raise the profile of his hometown.
"I hope I can show what a Chinese city is really like without any filter," he said. "And I think there is a collective effort being made."
There has been a growing number of drone pilots, amateur or professional, over the years due to a massive interest in aerial photography.
The domestic market volume of consumer drones in China increased from 12.6 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) in 2015 to an estimated 32.6 billion yuan in 2020, according to Shenzhen-based Qianzhan Industry Research Institute last year.
China Media Group got the ball rolling with Aerial China, a documentary series showcasing the country's landscape, in 2017 and has aired 34 episodes since.
According to chief director Yu Le in a 2017 interview, the bird's-eye view gives you the experience of flight as well as a sense of freedom.
In one episode of Aerial China premiering in March 2019, footage of cherry blossoms in Yuantouzhu, a famous scenic resort in Wuxi, was sourced locally.
An aerial photo of Wuxi's nightscapes by Wu Yidi. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"It came from Xia Jianjie, a member of the Wuxi Aerial Photography Association," said He Qiuhu, chairman of WAPA.
The association was established in late 2018 to provide guidance and a communication platform for its members. It also helps streamline the actions of pilots to meet national and local requirements for drone operation.
To date, membership has grown from fewer than 100 to some 380 people, with another 200 up for accreditation.
"They come from all walks of life, from government officials to common workers, from college professors to students, with an age range crossing six decades," He said.
One such member is Wang Mingdong, 62, a retired worker from a local radio factory.
Wang dabbled in aerial photography in 2017 as a means to enrich his retirement and qualified for association membership two years later.
His videos recorded the great changes Wuxi, especially its rural areas, has seen in recent years under the leadership of the Party, he said.
One of his works titled Bird's Eye View of Yangjian, which depicts the city's Yangjian town, won first prize in a local video contest themed on rural landscapes.
With the ubiquity of drones, the kind of photography that would have required extreme physical exertion is open to all, including people like Wang.
"You're never too old to learn," he said with a smile.
Members of the Wuxi Aerial Photography Association have a good time in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu province in April 2021. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
