During this year’s May Day holiday in mainland China, many people who went out to play had unforgettable experiences. They shared stories of overcrowded places and extreme weather conditions. Some even expressed regrets after experiencing the crowds and hardships. For example, a group of 70 people got stranded on the mountaintop of Wutai Mountain, with rumors circulating that some of them suffered from hypothermia and even died.
According to incomplete statistics, during the May Day holiday, regions in Guizhou, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guangxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Sichuan suddenly experienced heavy rain and severe weather, turning mountain climbing into a nationwide holiday nightmare and trending topic online. A popular travel blogger with nearly a million followers in China, “林海周遊,” lamented, “Not going would make you regret, going would make you regret even more. Only by entering the scenic area can you understand the difficulty of every step forward, torn between advance and retreat.”
One tourist from Tianjin who climbed Mount Tai on May 1st encountered strong winds, extreme cold, and hunger, exclaiming, “Have you ever faced such strong winds? I didn’t give up, but thought I might as well die if I don’t leave.”
On May 3rd, campers at Tangye Rainbow Lake in Jinan, Shandong, went from enjoying a leisurely time setting up tents and barbecuing on the lawn to fleeing in chaos as a sudden storm hit. Video footage showed how the peaceful scene turned into an emergency evacuation due to the unexpected weather.
Similarly, another internet user from Shandong described how they were picking cherries one moment and fleeing in the next. The atmosphere was likened to “the end of the world.”
Due to the sudden weather changes, many complained about the difficulties they faced in various regions. Some shared harrowing experiences, like a parent leading a group of over forty children on a “45-kilometer growth journey,” expressing regret for exposing the kids to such dangers.
Another tourist from Hubei narrated their May 2nd mountain climbing experience, where they encountered heavy snowfall on Wutai Mountain and narrowly avoided hypothermia as they waited for rescue on the mountaintop.
These incidents were not isolated cases, as visitors in different regions, including Shanxi, Anhui, and Huangshan, described their challenging and regretful experiences of battling extreme weather conditions while climbing mountains during the holiday period. The common sentiment was one of gratitude for their safety amidst perilous situations.
In response to the chaos, some suggested that tourist spots should enhance reservation systems to allow visitors to see real-time crowd levels and adjust schedules accordingly to improve overall safety and experience.