Authorities swiftly activated an emergency response on Saturday night after a sandstorm swept through a desert tourist attraction in northwest China's Dunhuang City, suspending ticket sales and promptly evacuating visitors.
At around 18:00 that day, the city was hit by a severe sandstorm, with the sky shrouded in thick yellow dust.
In response, the Mingsha Mountain Crescent Yueya Spring Scenic Spot promptly evacuated all visitors, while local authorities organized free buses and government vehicles to ensure safe transportation to the city center.
"Over 80 trips have been made, with 142 vehicles dispatched, ensuring that the more than 5,200 tourists safely returned to the city center," said Zhao Li, deputy head of the city's comprehensive traffic and transportation law enforcement team.
Following the sandstorm, scheduled performances at the scenic spot were put on hold. The site announced that shows would restart once conditions improved.
Authorities launch emergency evacuation as sandstorm hits desert scenic spot in Dunhuang
The moon reached its fullness and was at its closest to Earth on Wednesday night, depicting a picturesque scene of the "lowest full moon," a rare astronomical phenomenon that occurs nearly every two decades.
In Beijing, the reddish-hued moon seemingly hovered above the Badaling Great Wall, while at the Beihai Park, it provided a stunning backdrop to the White Pagoda as it slowly ascended.
The rare breathtaking views were captured by eagerly waiting photography enthusiasts in southwest China's Yunnan Province, just the same as they were in Heilongjiang and Shandong provinces in northeastern and eastern part of the country, when the low-hanging moon illuminated the cityscapes like a bright beacon.
This "lowest full moon" occurs when the moon reaches its full phase while positioned near the lowest declination of the ecliptic.
With the moon nearing horizon and moonlight passing through a thicker layer of Earth atmosphere, the shorter wavelengths of its light are scattered and longer wavelengths of light, like red, are able to reach people's eyes. As a result, the moon takes on a subtle reddish hue.
'Lowest full moon' graces sky over China's landmarks
'Lowest full moon' graces sky over China's landmarks
