Heavy rains, floods trigger emergency responses across China

Heavy rains and floods have triggered emergency responses across China.

Changchun, the provincial capital of Jilin in the northeast, experienced severe convection weather on Saturday night, with the maximum hourly rainfall reaching 32.2 millimeters, leading to water logging in some urban areas.

The provincial meteorological bureau expected thunderstorms and strong winds in some places, and jointly issued a yellow alert for heavy rains and water logging with the provincial department of housing and urban-rural development.

The two departments of Jilin also issued an alert for flash floods. As Wangqing County of the province was hit by floods two days ago and is highly likely to experience a new round of flash floods, the county has upgraded its response from Level-IV to Level-III, evacuating 8,375 people from high-risk areas in 93 villages in eight townships, and reinforcing vulnerable spots with sandbags and gravel.

Hailin City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, which has been hit by heavy rains for days, has evacuated residents in low-lying areas.

The continued rains have led to a rapid rising of the water level of the Wuhulin River, triggering the collapse of a bridge's conical slope. Local workers filled the cavity with stones to eliminate potential safety hazards for the bridge.

In Longnan City in northwest China's Gansu Province, this round of rains has lingered on for long, featuring short-term heavy downpours and large cumulative water volume, posing an extremely high risk of secondary disasters. In the city's Kangxian County, 6,127 residents had been evacuated to 54 shelters as of 16:00 on Saturday.

Southwest China's Chongqing issued an orange alert for downpours on Saturday as heavy rains hit the municipality's Yuzhong and Dazu districts, as well as the Liangjiang New Area. The local meteorological department upgraded the downpour alert to orange, and activated a Level-IV emergency response to floods. The city started water draining and mud clearing soon after the heavy rains caused water logging on many roads.

This round of rains is expected to last till Tuesday, with the precipitation to reach 150 to 200 millimeters in some areas.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue, and a four-tier emergency response system for geological disasters, with Level-I being the most severe.

Heavy rains, floods trigger emergency responses across China

Fueled by expanded visa waiver policies and improved visitor services, Shanghai's inbound tourism is surging this summer.

Beyond shopping, growing numbers of international visitors are embracing the "China Chic" trend, exploring revitalized historic landmarks and time-honored brands to experience the city's rich cultural heritage and modern evolution.

Along Nanjing Road, the century-old eyewear brand Wu Liangcai Optical has partnered with the Shanghai Museum’s summer exhibition, Ancient Civilizations of the Americas.

Its nearly 1,000-square-meter flagship store has been transformed into a vibrant cultural destination, blending retail with art to attract overseas visitors.

"So I think the idea is very nice, like to put the whole kind of traditional Maya into merchandise, it's very interesting. And I think the design is very nice as well. I think it's the first time I ever taste corn ice cream, and it's very nice, delicate, not too sweet, very good. See the culture, the food, the people, I think that's the most interesting thing. So, I think I would expect in China, in a city like Shanghai to see all the cultures, to see all the things," said James, a visitor from Britain.

Nearby, a historic building on the Bund is hosting an immersive Song Dynasty (960-1279) exhibition, combining classical paintings, life-sized sets, and dynamic light installations to offer international visitors a deeper appreciation of China's cultural heritage.

"The most I like was the Sun Wukong, because it's one of the most famous in the international places. Yeah, I really like how the Chinese they can put all the products, they can make art with the culture, and then they can spread in the world. Also, the foreigners they can enjoy about the books, the stories about China, and I really like it so much," said Torres, a Chilean visitor.

These innovative cultural attractions are encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore the city more extensively.

In the first half of 2026, Shanghai received over 5 million inbound overnight visitors, marking a 31 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

Fresh cultural experiences boost Shanghai's inbound tourism