Chinese authorities have rescued and evacuated tourists who were stranded at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jiuzhaigou following mudslides triggered by heavy rains, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The evacuations took place on Monday as officials raised the nation’s highest flash-flood warning for several regions in the wake of Typhoon Noul.
Jiuzhaigou, located in the southwestern province of Sichuan, draws visitors from around the world for its breathtaking scenery — including vivid blue, green, and purple pools, snow-capped mountain peaks, lakes, and cascading multi-tiered waterfalls.
CCTV reported that several key areas within the scenic site had been shut down and that stranded visitors were being safely removed from the area.
Local authorities announced the closures in an official statement: “Due to mudslides, starting July 27, the area above Arrow Bamboo Lake (including Arrow Bamboo Lake) in Rize Valley and the entire Zechawa Valley in Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area will be temporarily closed to tourists.”
The closures come as Typhoon Noul — described as the most powerful typhoon to strike China so far this year — unleashed heavy rains across southern and central portions of the country. In response, China’s Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued a red-level flash-flood warning from Sunday night through Monday. The alert covered high-risk areas in parts of Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and southeastern Xinjiang provinces.
Mudslides and soil erosion are recurring hazards in China’s mountainous terrain, particularly in areas where steep river valleys converge. The risk is especially high during the summer rainy season. This month has already seen at least four fatal landslides throughout the country.
In the southwestern city of Chongqing, a massive landslide following torrential downpours killed 11 people, with 50 others still unaccounted for. In the northwestern province of Gansu, a landslide struck the mountainous county of Tanchang, killing at least 21 people. Separately, flash floods at a scenic camping area in Gansu’s Weiyuan county claimed the lives of 10 tourists and left 23 others injured.
In yet another tragedy, five people lost their lives when a loess soil collapse buried a home in a village in northern Shanxi province.
The dangerous conditions coincide with China’s peak flood control period — known as Qixia Bashang — which runs from mid-July through mid-August. Weather specialists are warning that extreme rainfall events will become more frequent and intense in the weeks ahead, with much of northern China expected to see precipitation levels running 20% to 50% above normal.
