Heavy downpours have pelted large swathes of eastern Chinese tourist city of Huangshan, leaving scenic attractions closed, villagers stranded, and vegetables damaged.
Affected by the recent rainfall, a total of 45 national top-level tourist attractions in Huangshan have been temporarily shut. Mount Huangshan, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site renowned for its magnificent natural beauty, has been partially closed since June 20, with the reopening date pending on weather condition.
On Monday, the southern part of Huangshan experienced heavy to torrential rain, with the amount of precipitation at three hydrological stations exceeding 100 mm, and the maximum reaching 111.7 mm in Donglinxi Town, Xiuning County.
As of 9 a.m. on Monday, over 470,000 people were affected in 105 towns and townships across seven counties and districts including Shexian County, Huangshan District, and Xiuning County, and more than 60,000 people had been urgently relocated and resettled. Crops were damaged and some houses collapsed.
On Sunday, Changluo Village in Huangshan District's Tanjiaqiao Town was flooded following heavy rainfall, stranding many villagers.
At about 13:00 o'clock firefighters entered the flooded village with inflatable boats and rescued trapped villagers, including many seniors.
Rainstorms hit eastern Chinese tourist city
China urges companies to make independent, interest-aligned business decisions free from external political interference, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday.
Mao's comments came in response to a BBC report on Thursday in which Tadashi Yanai, CEO of Fast Retailing - the parent company of the global clothing brand Uniqlo - stated that the company does not source cotton from China's Xinjiang region.
"Cotton from the Xinjiang region is among the best in the world. We hope relevant company will overcome political pressure and malign disruption, and independently make business decisions that serve its own interests," Mao said.
Speaking to the BBC in Tokyo, Yanai explained the company's focus on greater transparency regarding the sourcing and manufacturing of its materials, stating that Uniqlo does not use Xinjiang cotton.
However, in a recent interview with Nikkei Asia, Yanai reiterated that production in China remains crucial for the company.
Figures show that as of Oct 31, Uniqlo has 927 stores on the Chinese mainland, more than a third of its total of over 2,500 stores worldwide. Among these, nearly 20 new stores opened in September and October this year - including its first store in Sanya, a tourist city in China's southernmost island province of Hainan.
In the 2024 fiscal year, Uniqlo's sales revenue in Greater China reached a whopping 677 billion yen (about 4.38 billion U.S. dollars), up 9.2 percent year on year, according to Fast Retailing, Uniqlo's parent company.
China urges firms to eliminate political pressure, make independent decisions: spokeswoman
China urges firms to eliminate political pressure, make independent decisions: spokeswoman
