Olivier Guyonvarch, the French consul general in Wuhan, leaves an office building in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Feb 13. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

The biggest transportation hub in Central China, Wuhan in Hubei province, is also an international city where thousands of expats work and study. While many expats have been evacuated by their countries in the past three weeks, a large number have chosen to stay and battle the novel coronavirus epidemic alongside millions of Wuhan residents. China Daily photographer Zhu Xingxin reports from Wuhan.

Manae Shashikian (left) and Anzhelika Oorzhak from Russia display Chinese knots they made in their room in Wuhan University's dormitory for foreign students on Feb 1. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

Jianghan University professor Sara Platto, from Italy, and her son, Matteo, at their home in Wuhan on Feb 18. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

Sina Karami from Iran makes coffee at the shop he works at in Wuhan on Thursday. The coffee shop provides free drinks to medical workers from nearby hospitals. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

Sam Chin Quek Pin (second from right), general manager of the Wanda Reign Wuhan Hotel, who is from Malaysia, helps serve food to medical workers from Shandong province on Friday. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

Russian student Vera Syrvasova in her room in Huazhong University of Science and Technology's dormitory for foreign students on Feb 1. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

Graduate student Sawa Haithm Ghanem Ali from Yemen studies in his room in Wuhan University's dormitory for foreign students on Feb 1. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

Physician Philippe Klein from France at the entrance of his residential community in Wuhan on Monday. He works at Wuhan Union Hospital. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)