They came from different hospitals in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region but fought the virus together in Wuhan, communicating with their eyes from behind the protective gear, says Duan Wei, adding, "It was only after the masks were off that they realized that their comrade-in-arms are actually strangers face-to-face."

A photographer, Duan has captured the moment medical volunteers at the COVID-19 front line saw what their colleagues really looked like once their job was done in Wuhan, the worst hit city in China during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I found the moment beautiful as the glory of human nature really shone through."

Duan's photograph is one of hundreds taking part in an exhibition themed around the coronavirus pandemic, which opened in Beijing on Monday.

The exhibition, the first of its kind in the world, aims to deliver strength and encourage solidarity worldwide at a time when over 10 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed and over 500,000 lives have been cut short as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.

Titled "Zooming in on COVID-19 — Unforgettable Moments in the Global Fight Against the Pandemic," the exhibition collected more than 200 photographs by over 100 artists from 27 countries and regions severely affected by the coronavirus, including China, South Korea, Egypt, Italy, Russia, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and the U.S.

From a candle-lit mass in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro to honor national medical staff to workers disinfecting a subway carriage in Yekaterinburg, Russia, photographs captured the disordered life and unusual moments during the pandemic.

The photos are arranged in five categories: "Unanticipated COVID-19 Outbreak Worldwide," "Life Matters, Love Prevails," "Standing Together Through Thick and Thin," "Global Shutdown, Sinking Economy," and "Boosting Confidence in Recovery, Moving Forward with Courage."

"The moment China International Publishing Group (CIPG) initiated the exhibition, many institutions from different countries responded actively and gave great support," said Du Zhanyuan, president of the CIPG, the exhibition's chief initiator.

"It shows that we, as the witness and recorder of the pandemic, have the attitude, choice and action in the face of disaster, and convey the spirit of mutual support, solidarity and cooperation," he said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

"Undoubtedly, the exhibition that the CIPG held with modern technologies is a very influential event. In my eyes, the exhibition can help millions of audiences review the hard time human beings spent together in the past three to four months," said Pavel Negoitsa, president of Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a co-initiator of the exhibition.

The online photo exhibition, which will last for six months, is held in five languages – Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish and Korean, and can be accessed here.

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