Southern China mobilizes relief efforts after torrential rains, flooding

Torrential rains have triggered widespread flooding across southern parts of China, prompting urgent relief operations to mitigate the impact and support affected communities.

In central China's Hubei Province, Chongyang County of Xianning City was hit by a three-hour rainstorm of 114 millimeters from the night of Monday to the early morning of Tuesday, causing water to accumulate in many parts of the city and stranding vehicles.

Local departments responded swiftly, rescuing the trapped people and vehicles in a timely manner. The rain has now stopped and the water has begun to recede.

The water level of the Yangtze River section in Hubei's Wuhan on Monday exceeded the warning level of 27.3 meters for the first time since August 2020. Hundreds of residents in affected areas were safely transferred under the joint efforts of multiple departments in the city.

The section of Yangtze River in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, exceeded 9.5 meters on Tuesday morning, 0.8 meters above the warning level.

Due to the large wind on the river and the fast water flow, the maritime department has taken measures to restrict traffic so as to ensure the safety of water transportation. The Nanjing Maritime Department raised the flood control to a high-level emergency response at 16:00 on Monday, strengthening the emergency force on duty 24 hours a day.

Also in east China, Jiujiang City in Jiangxi Province was hit by continuous heavy rain from Monday to Tuesday, causing urban and rural flooding and necessitating the local emergency evacuation of trapped people.

In the early morning on Tuesday, severe water-logging in some residential areas of Jiujiang City left people trapped, prompting rescue workers to deploy rubber rafts for their safe transfer to dry areas.

In Tongren City in southwest China's Guizhou province, two consecutive days of torrential rain resulted in 140.2 mm of rainfall in Bijiang District and 157.2 mm in Wanshan District, the main urban areas in the city.

The Jinjiang River's precipitous rise in water levels led to urban road flooding and significant traffic disruptions. In response, multiple departments swiftly implemented emergency measures, including traffic control, warning signs, and accelerated drainage efforts. Firefighters utilized rubber rafts to evacuate citizens and students stranded by the flooding.

In Daping Town under the city's Wanshan District, 117 residents were urgently evacuated following the rise in water levels, flooding of homes and falling of trees. To support those displaced, three temporary shelters were promptly established, offering essential living accommodations.

Southern China mobilizes relief efforts after torrential rains, flooding

A variety of themed activities, including performances, firework shows, cultural displays and night markets, have been rolled out across China to create a festive vibe and fuel consumption during the seven-day National Day holiday starting Thursday.

In Songzi, a hub for high-end guitar manufacturing and cultural tourism in central China's Hubei Province, music performances have been staged in scenic areas, commercial districts, and villages across the county-level city, as part of a guitar-themed activity to offer tourists a unique vacation.

In Jianli, a county in Hubei noted for preserving the Jingzhou flower drum opera, a national-level intangible cultural heritage, an immersive cultural tourism street themed on the local genre has been launched, where promenade theatre allows visitors to feel the unique charm of flower drum opera up close.

In Xiaogan City of Hubei, a grand firework show lit up the sky on Thursday night, creating a strong festive atmosphere and drawing crowds of visitors.

In Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, the Changjiang Road cultural and museum block officially opened on Thursday night, serving as an "outdoor museum" for visitors with upgraded digital services.

"The block features diverse and innovative cultural tourism offerings, upgraded business forms, and innovatively integrated experience scenarios, blending culture and museum with art, technology and fashion," said Ye Dongmei, director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Xuanwu District, Nanjing.

Meanwhile, the authorities of Anxi County in east China's Fujian Province have launched a series of activities themed on tea, culture, tourism and consumption to forge immersive experience scenarios for tourists, and have rolled out consumer incentives in collaboration with local scenic areas, hotels and commercial districts to boost holiday spending.

"For this National Day holiday, I took my two kids here for leisure, for food and for fun. They are both very happy," said Lin Guixia, a tourist.

In Qionghai City of south China's Hainan Province, a holiday event has brought together music and dance performances, a night market, and nighttime leisure activities to a single location, diversifying holiday offerings for visitors while boosting consumption.

"I feel very good here tonight. There's plenty of stuff to eat, drink, and do. The atmosphere here is great," said Long Bin, a visitor.

National Day holiday events boost consumption across China