In Alibaba’s hometown Hangzhou, a grim message: Please don’t go out

A loudspeaker broadcast ominous instructions across the deserted streets of Hangzhou, the eastern Chinese city that is home to e-commerce giant Alibaba: “Please don’t go out, don’t go out, don’t go out!”

Hangzhou is famous for being where tech tycoon Jack Ma founded his online shopping business in an apartment two decades ago, a one hour journey on a bullet train from Shanghai.