The powerful Typhoon Doksuri has become a major trending topic on Chinese social media these days after leaving behind a trail of enormous damage.
The typhoon, that started in the Philippines, first created havoc in Taiwan before it reached mainland China’s Fujian Province on July 28 and then passed through the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (Weibo hashtag “Major Rains in Districts Across Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei” #京津冀部分地区特大暴雨#, 81.3 million views).
In Beijing, Mentougou and Fangshan District were hit especially hard as torrential rains, amounting to an average of 300 mm rainfall in just 42 hours, caused various problems (hashtag “Mentougou Torrential Rain” #门头沟暴雨#, 320 million clicks).
The highest rainfall was recorded at the Miaofengshan scenic area in Mentougou, where a staggering 580.9 mm rainfall was recorded between 8pm on the 29th to 2pm on the 31st.
Meanwhile, local authorities issues various alerts, from Beijing’s red alert for floods (#北京升级发布洪水红色预警#) that was issued on the 31st of July to Tianjin upgrading the city’s flood emergency response to the highest level in the early morning of August 1st.
Such terrible scenes in Fangshan District, southwest of Beijing, one of the areas hit particularly hard by the torrential rains over the past days. pic.twitter.com/Gt756wFlBr
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) August 1, 2023
See this X [Twitter] thread for more videos showing the situation in Beijing.
On Monday, the typhoon left passengers of two trains (K396, Z180) stranded due to the closure of the railway tracks caused by water damage. A total of 1870 stranded passengers had to be evacuated.
They were by far not the only ones facing evacuation. In Fujian alone, over 350,000 people had to evacuate, and in Beijing, thousands of people were also forced to leave their homes.
By Tuesday, the death toll of the storm rose to 11 in Beijing, with 27 people still missing. In Hebei, at least 9 people died in the storm, and 6 people are still missing.
Amidst all the Chinese online media coverage of the situation, it is particularly the stories highlighting heroic acts of local residents and rescue workers that are being promoted by official channels and applauded by netizens.
Xinhua News agency initiated one social media hashtag by the name of “Saluting the Ordinary Heroes in the Typhoon” (#致敬台风中的平凡英雄#).
Another hashtag, which ranked no 3 in top trending lists on Tuesday, is “Saluting Those Who Swim Against the Tide during Torrential Rains” (#致敬那些暴雨中的逆行者#).
The word used in this hashtag is nìxíngzhě (逆行者), “the ones going against the tide.” This term, describing those who go beyond their call of duty, has been used by state media since early 2020, and initially mainly referred to frontline workers and individuals who made a significant contribution or sacrifice during China’s initial battle against Covid-19 (see 2020 Top 10 Buzzwords in China). It has now become more commonly used to refer to anyone who goes above and beyond to help others.
Quanzhou Blue Sky Rescue Worker Passes Away after Evacuating Residents
The 53-year-old rescue worker Chen Yuansheng (陈元生) rushed to the scene in Nan’an in Fujian’s Quanzhou to aid trapped residents in evacuating during the storm and heavy rainfall. Chen was a member of the local Blue Sky Rescue Team.
The Blue Sky Rescue Team (蓝天救援队) is a professional non-profit search-and-rescue organization with more than 30,000 registered volunteers. Founded in 2007, it is China’s largest nonprofit civil rescue organization.
During the rescue operation, Chen became unwell and had to be rushed to the hospital, where he tragically passed away on the evening of July 29. Team members stated that Chen had been physically exhausted. According to several Chinese media reports about his passing, Chen was so dedicated to the rescue efforts that his final messages were solely focused on the ongoing operation and not on his own condition.
Although the exact cause of death was not officially reported, Chen’s death is described as a “sacrifice” in the eye of the storm (#蓝天救援队员抗击台风时牺牲#).
Beijing Man Rescues Family of Three
A video of a man in Beijing rescuing three people with his front-end loader has also gone viral these days and was republished by various Chinese media outlets (#小哥开铲车自发救援帮助多人脱困#).
The footage, shot by a local resident from a higher vantage point, captures the efforts of a man using a front-end loader to rescue three individuals. The man single-handedly maneuvers the loader, crossing a flooded bridge to reach a stranded family.
This young man rescuing a family of three (plus dog) in Beijing with his front-end loader is being praised on social media as one of the "ordinary heroes" risking their own safety to come to the aid of others during the heavy rainfall and floods. pic.twitter.com/IqvF7kbC0i
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) August 1, 2023
The family, comprising two adults and a child, wastes no time climbing into the loader’s bucket as soon as it is lifted high enough for their safe boarding. With everyone on board, including the pet dog, the driver steers the loader to evacuate them from danger.
This man is now being hailed as an “ordinary hero” who selflessly risked his own safety to come to the aid of others.
Electricity Workers in the Rain
Chinese state media outlet Xinhua also highlighted the electricity workers who, despite of the heavy rain and tough working conditions, went out to fix the electricity in Hebei’s Baoding on Monday (#暴雨致村子停电供电员工冒雨抢修#).
Baoding was also considerably impacted by the storm and floods. Besides the many businesses and homes that were flooded, there were also power outages.
Firefighter ‘Dropping from the Sky’
Another story shared online by China’s Firefighters official Weibo channel recounts an incident that occurred on July 30 in Handan, Hebei.
Amidst the heavy rainfall, a driver found himself trapped in the rapidly rising water and faced the risk of drowning – a very close call.
Another rescue effort, a very close call, took place in Handan, Hebei, on Sunday when a driver nearly drowned in the rapidly rising water and strong current. The firefighter "dropped from the sky" (从天而降) to bring him to safety. pic.twitter.com/4scTR6KcoS
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) August 1, 2023
A firefighter by the name of Zhao Yapeng (赵亚朋) came to his rescue by descending from above and successfully brought him to safety. As a video of the incident is shared on Chinese socials, the firefighter is now praised online for the rescue operation and the way he just “dropped from the sky” (“从天而降”).
Exhausted Firefighters and Servicemen
Besides the dozens of stories highlighting the heroic actions of individuals, there are also videos showcasing the efforts and sacrifices made by firefighters and servicemen during their rescue work.
Some clips portray them having a quick meal in the rain (#武警官兵就着雨水吃饭让人破防#), getting some rest on floors, or lying outside before the break of dawn to resume their duties. These videos are primarily posted by official Chinese media channels and are often accompanied by emotional music.
According to a recent post by the official Weibo channel of China’s Firefighters (@中国消防), as of Tuesday afternoon, firefighting and rescue teams from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei had responded to a total of 2577 emergency incidents caused by the recent heavy rainfall. They dispatched a total of 12,624 firefighters and successfully rescued and evacuated over 6,300 stranded individuals.
Highlighting the collective sacrifice of Chinese firefighters and servicemen in times of hardship is something we have also seen in Chinese official media coverage of the Henan flooding and the Chongqing forest fires.
While highlighting the heroic stories amid the storm may be a recurring part of Chinese propaganda efforts, these accounts also resonate with netizens, leading to widespread sharing and likes. “Nature is ruthless, but humans are compassionate,” expressed some commenters, acknowledging the contrasting forces at play. Others remarked on the helplessness people face when confronting powerful natural disasters.
It is this very contrast between brutal nature and warm humaneness that strikes a chord with most. In the face of such powerlessness, it is perhaps not surprising that stories of people bravely taking control offer a ray of light during darker times.
By Manya Koetse
The original version of the featured image was posted by @中国消防 on Weibo.
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