WUHAN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- As the 18th Central China International Auto Show closed on Monday in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, orders worth 3.52 billion yuan (about 507 million U.S. dollars) were inked.

The auto show was the first major business activity held in the city, once hard-hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, after a lockdown was removed in early April as the epidemic wanes.

The five-day auto show attracted exhibitors of over 60 auto brands, including BMW and Mercedes-Benz, to showcase new models.

Many car makers took the opportunity to pay tribute to medical workers and volunteers who put their own lives on the line to rescue others in the city's anti-epidemic battle. They were given a maximum discount of 20,000 yuan in car purchases.

Organizers of the event took a slew of epidemic prevention measures such as using online ticket sales to regulate visitor flows and temperature checks at the entrance of the show.

Wang Zhi, deputy secretary-general of the Wuhan branch of the China Automobile Dealers Association, said the auto show is "a milestone in restoring consumer confidence and restarting the city's economic engine."  ■