Recently, 28-year-old Chinese student Huang Peng, who was studying abroad in the mountainous region of northern Italy, has been missing for several days, sparking ongoing concern.
According to reports from the “Modern Express” newspaper on February 1st, Huang Peng’s sister, Ms. Huang, stated that their cousin working in France has already arrived in Italy to gather information.
Reported by Red Star News, on January 30th, it was learned from Ms. Huang, Huang Peng’s sister, that the 28-year-old had been missing in the Dolomites region of Italy for 12 days.
Huang Peng, originally from Xingyi, Guizhou, was born in 1997. In 2022, he entered the Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering College at Sichuan University to pursue a doctoral degree. In August 2025, he was sent to the University of Tuscia in Italy for a year-long exchange program.
According to Ms. Huang, her brother was busy with his studies, and she often refrained from contacting him to avoid disturbing him. They would communicate approximately once every ten days. “Some time ago, he mentioned going to the Dolomites for what seemed to be related to his thesis. I didn’t quite understand the details, but I asked if he was safe. He said, ‘It’s safe over there.'”
Their last contact was on January 12. On January 24, Ms. Huang sent a WeChat message to her brother but did not receive a reply. It wasn’t until the evening of January 26, Beijing time, when she received a call from Huang Peng’s classmate at Sichuan University, that she learned of her brother’s disappearance.
Subsequently, Ms. Huang learned from Huang Peng’s roommate that on January 19 around 6:30 AM local time in Italy, Huang Peng left their residence in Viterbo to go to the Dolomites region. He was supposed to return on January 23 according to the plan, but he has not returned until now and cannot be reached. The roommate reported his disappearance to the police on January 26.
Ms. Huang stated that police have been notified in both the location of disappearance and the departure location.
Ms. Huang revealed that the disappearance has dealt a heavy blow to their rural family. “Our family is in a rural area of Xingyi, Guizhou. Our parents are extremely worried; they have aged overnight, and there are grandparents in their 90s at home.”
Feeling both anxious and powerless, Ms. Huang’s cousin working in France took two days off to rush to the Dolomites to assist in the search. Ms. Huang mentioned that she has been in touch with Sichuan University, and the university stated that if all procedures are completed, they will send a teacher to Italy.
On January 29, Ms. Huang sought help through online platforms.
Reports indicate that the missing Huang Peng was in the Gardena Valley, a typical area of the Alps with harsh winter weather, where temperatures often range between -10℃ to -20℃, or even lower.
Local law enforcement agencies, mountain rescue teams, and the public have joined forces in the search and rescue operation, while media outlets such as television stations have also issued missing person notices. The official website of the University of Tuscia in Italy has also released information regarding Huang Peng’s disappearance.