During the Labor Day holiday, several visitors who climbed Mount Tai posted videos complaining about the large number of people on the mountain. On May 2nd, from the early morning till daytime, it rained in the Mount Tai scenic area accompanied by strong winds. The nighttime temperature was very low, and a large number of visitors crowded into the toilets on the mountain to spend the night or rented folding beds in the paid shops to take shelter from the rain. Due to the rainy weather during the daytime, they missed the chance to see the sunrise.
One visitor who climbed Mount Tai mentioned that it started raining on the early morning of May 2nd in the scenic area, but there were few places on the mountain to take shelter from the rain. The mountain was extremely crowded that day, with even the toilets filled with people. There was simply no place to rest, and many visitors got soaked. Many people also chose to descend the mountain overnight. Another visitor described the drastic temperature difference between daytime and nighttime on the mountain. The night was cold, and the toilets were packed with people, all waiting to see the sunrise at five in the morning. Some shops rented out folding beds for 60 yuan each, for overnight stays until four in the morning the next day.
A visitor, Ms. He, stated that she started climbing at night on May 1st, planning to see the sunrise the next day. However, it started raining halfway through her climb, so she decided to descend the mountain. Passing by a restroom, she saw that the sinks and toilets were filled with people sitting or lying down, leaving no place to step without almost tripping over someone. As it was raining outside at that time, many people had hastily come in to seek shelter, resulting in a half-hour wait even just to use the restroom.
Previously, journalists from a news outlet visited the Mount Tai scenic area and found that the temperature was lower on the mountain, and the wait for the sunrise was lengthy. Due to the higher accommodation prices in hotels, restaurants and hotel lobbies with heating and charging facilities became crowded.
Around 1 a.m. on May 1st, near the Mount Tai Tianjie, it was observed that many businesses were already filled with visitors. Some were sleeping on tables inside the shops, while others were chatting to pass the time.
A restaurant owner mentioned that resting in the lobby until 3:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise costs 60 yuan. If someone only wants to eat a cup of instant noodles, they can only stay in the shop for half an hour, with a charge of 15 yuan per cup. The prices for temporary resting spaces provided by different establishments vary from 60 to 100 yuan, and may adjust dynamically as time progresses.
In the lobby of a hotel called Shenqi Guesthouse, around 2 a.m. on May 1st, the floor was filled with visitors sleeping on mats for 100 yuan per person.
On the morning of May 3rd, staff at the Mount Tai scenic area responded, stating that it is currently the busy Labor Day holiday period, with a large number of people climbing Mount Tai. It had rained from the early morning of May 2nd until daytime, with colder nighttime temperatures; hence, the likelihood of seeing the sunrise on rainy days was very low.