Dragon, a bronze sculpture created by Pierre Alivon, features a masked solider and a dragon. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The sculptor explained that he used the soldier as a symbol not only of health professionals who fought on the front lines but of everyone else who did their part, big or small, to flatten the curve.

Alivon also made the solider wear headphones, listening to music while gazing at the sky. "He might be thinking about good things at the end of the epidemic – kissing his parents, pampering his children and hanging out with friends," he said.

The other half of the bronze is a dragon, a revered creature in Chinese mythology which the sculptor believes represents "the solidarity among the Chinese people in fighting an unknown virus".