Aims To explore the experiences of community-dwelling older adults in Wuhan during the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown. Design An empirical phenomenological approach was used to conduct a qualitative study. Methods We performed semi-structured, in-depth telephone interviews between July 24 and August 2, 2020. A purposive sample of 18 participants (>= 65 years old) who lived in Wuhan during the lockdown was recruited, including both infected and uninfected people. Data summarization and theme categories refinement were performed following Colaizzi's phenomenological approach. Results Four main theme categories emerged. First, the 'Challenges' posed by the epidemic. Older adults were challenged with barriers in seeing a doctor and daily life inconveniences. And they experienced negative emotions, whether infected or not. The second domain was 'multi-dimensional support', which helped older people went through the difficult period. The third domain was 'resilience amid challenges'. Although they experienced physical and psychological distress, most of them could self-adjust and achieve transcendence from the unique experience. Lastly, the remaining impact after the epidemic affected older adults. Some still had mental burdens, while others thought they have benefited from the quarantine time (e.g. regular diet, learning new skills). Conclusion The epidemic and lockdown of the city brought significant physical and mental challenges to community-dwelling older adults. Active adaptation and multifaceted support helped them through this period. However, the mental burdens after the epidemic still require attention. These experiences would provide guidelines for the protection of vulnerable populations during public health emergencies. Impact The results of the study suggested that certain social dynamics and individual behaviours helped the elderly to better cope with the stressful lockdown period. The findings in this study provided guidelines on how to reduce the negative effects on older adults during the pandemic and enlighten studies concerning the well-being of older adults or other vulnerable people in future crises.