On July 25th, floods surged into the streets of Wuqi County, Shaanxi Province, and the shops near the Beiluo River in the northern part of the county were flooded. The door of the Lao Fengxiang store at the entrance of the Emerald Manor community in the Bi Guiyuan was washed away by the flood, and millions worth of gold and silver jewelry inside the store were washed away. On July 26th, the person in charge of the store stated that the gold and silver jewelry, along with the safe, have not been found.
Lao Fengxiang is a famous Chinese jewelry brand, spanning three centuries as a classic jewelry brand in China. Lao Fengxiang has nearly 6000 retail outlets nationwide.
On July 25th, the water levels of Tou Daochuan, Luanshitou Chuan, and the Beiluo River in the jurisdiction of the county rose rapidly. The opposite of the Bi Guiyuan Emerald Manor community in Wuqi County is the Beiluo River, separated by the Luo Bin Road.
On July 26th, a person engaged in gold recycling in Wuqi County stated that on the 25th, floodwaters rushed into the streets of the county, inundating some shops along Luo Bin Road and washing away several cars. Another civilian mentioned that after the floods receded on the 25th, he visited the jewelry store, where people were seen picking up items outside.
Nearby shop owners revealed that gold and silver jewelry from Lao Fengxiang store was washed away.
On the 26th, Mr. Ye, the person in charge of the Lao Fengxiang store in Wuqi County, confirmed that the gold and silver jewelry were indeed washed away. He has three stores in Wuqi County, with the one at the entrance of the Bi Guiyuan Emerald Manor community having bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pendants, diamond rings, jade, silver jewelry, among others. The store covers an area of nearly 200 square meters, without a safe but with a safe box. Normally, the gold and silver jewelry were not stored centrally before closing, and were still on the counter at night.
According to Mr. Ye, at around 8 o’clock on the 25th, the staff was preparing to open the store when they were suddenly notified that floods were coming and they needed to evacuate urgently. The gold and silver jewelry in the store could not be moved in time. Later, as the flood arrived, the water inside the store reached over a meter deep, and “the store’s door was washed away by the flood.”
After the floodwaters receded, Mr. Ye discovered that the goods containers and the gold and silver jewelry inside were washed away, along with the safe. The safe contained new goods, recycled old materials, and cash. Several containers were found several hundred meters from the store, but the safe is still missing.
Mr. Ye estimated that nearly 20 kilograms of goods worth tens of millions were washed away, and he hopes that residents who find the jewelry will return them to the store.
The video provided by Mr. Ye shows the empty store with caution tape around it, people clearing debris outside the store, searching for items, and onlookers. He mentioned that the other two stores were also flooded but with less damage.
Multiple public phone numbers of the local police did not respond to media inquiries. Government officials at the Wuqi County Office stated that they are currently unaware of the extent of the damage to the Lao Fengxiang store.
An authoritative official from a department in Wuqi County mentioned that they are aware of the information regarding the washing away of gold and silver jewelry from the Lao Fengxiang store.