The mountain flash flood that killed at least seven people in Sichuan’s Pengzhou is trending on Chinese social media, where people are discussing how this tragic incident could happen despite the Longcao valley being filled with warning signs not to go down to the river.
On Saturday, August 13, a flash flood in the city of Pengzhou in Sichuan province killed seven people and injured eight.
Videos taken at the scene show how people were taken by surprise as the water burst down the mountain. Many people had set up tents and tables, enjoying playtime with families and friends by the shallow water.
The incident happened in the afternoon at the Longcao valley (龙漕沟) in the Longmen Mountain Scenic Area, a popular area for (domestic) tourism and day trips. Since it was a sunny Saturday, the area was particularly crowded with people playing, cooking, eating, and camping by the water.
As the flash flood came, not everybody initially seemed aware of how life-threatening the situation was. Some people still took the time to collect their belongings, taking their tents and chairs with them before leaving the scene (see videos in Twitter thread below).
What happened in Pengzhou yesterday is tragic, as 7 people were killed in a flash flood incident. A day later, online discussions focus on how the incident unfolded. Videos show some people still took time to gather their belongings and even attempted to take their tent. pic.twitter.com/ZsX6AggJ2x
Other videos show how some visitors were slow to respond or even ignored warnings given to them about the rising water levels.
Not all people could reach the river bank in time and some people, including children, were swept away by the speeding water. One particularly heart-wrenching video showed a father and his child trapped in the river and being dragged away by the strong water current (#男子在洪水中紧抱孩子#).
“Cherish Life, Don’t Go Down the River” Warnings Ignored
Earlier that day, at 14:37, a Longmenshan weather warning forecasted short periods of heavy rainfall in the area, increasing the risk of mountain floods, after which the local authorities immediately sent out patrol teams to the riverside to warn visitors to get away from the area.
The area around Longmen mountain and the Longcao valley have warning signs placed by Pengzhou authorities that people should not go down the river due to the risk of sudden mountain floods, especially in summertime.
Warning sign saying: “Cherish life, please don’t go down the river.”
Other photos show that some river bank areas are also fenced off to prevent day-trippers from playing at the river, with warning signs placed: “Prohibited to go down the river, cherish life, if you still go down the river, you must bear the consequences of your risky actions” (禁止下河 珍爱生命 私自下河 一切后果自负).
“Cherish your life, don’t go down the river, if you go down on your own accord, you should bear all consequences of your own risky actions.”
With hundreds of people around the area, it is clear that many warning signs were ignored. This seems to be a common occurrence, since the site is somewhat of a ‘social media hotspot’ (网红打卡点).
Chinese influencers and Xiaohongshu users often post photos of themselves having a BBQ and enjoying the water at the Longcao valley, letting their children swim in the mountain river.
Longcao valley is a ‘social media hotspot.’
At 15:30 on Saturday, less than hour after the initial weather warning, the area’s Xiaoyudong (小鱼洞) first saw a flash flood, and the people who were still at the mountain river were swept away by the water.
According to people who were at the scene, rescue vehicles had problems getting to the scene shortly after because the road was blocked by visitors’ cars.
One popular Weibo blogger called Wuwei Liye (@无为李爷) wrote that he firmly rejected the idea that local authorities should be held responsible for what happened: “They did all they could. Not only did they put up warning signs, they even put up fences (..) and later also shouted out to visitors that they should hurry and get out, but nobody paid attention to them.”
The blogger writes that social media is partly to blame for normalizing risky visits to the river bed and mountain river. “Irresponsible platforms and influencers wrongfully giving publicity to this should be held responsible.”
This stance is also reiterated by official media outlet Global Times (环球网). In a Weibo editorial, they blamed social media celebrities for hyping up Longcao valley despite the area being a fenced-off no-entry zone.
Photo via Baidu, showing visitors entering the area despite a warning sign and fences.
Global Times draws a comparison between the Longcao valley and other dangerous areas that are popular among social media influencers, such as a famous Qinghai road where they pose for pics despite the traffic, or a “starry sky” tunnel in Ningbo, where some risk their life for a pretty photo.
A road in Qinghai and a traffic tunnel in Ningbo are popular picture-taking spots for social media influencers, who risk their own safety and that of others for the perfect selfie.
Many other bloggers also think parents taking their children out to the river bed should also be blamed for their irresponsibility.
Photo showing people enjoying themselves in the Longcao area despite a warning telling them not to go into the river.
Meanwhile, one man who was at the scene is being praised on social media for his brave behavior. As one woman struggled to cross the river with the flash flood nearing, he went back to grab her and bring her to safety. A hashtag dedicated to the vigilance of the heroic man garnered over 140 million views on Weibo on Sunday (#彭州突发山洪黑衣男子逆行救人#)
On the afternoon of August 14th, Pengzhou again sent out a total of fifteen rescue teams for a third search and rescue operation. The rescue operation was rounded up by night time.
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🔥 Quick Take: Trending in China – Week 17
This is a brief update from our curated roundup of what’s trending in China this week. A version of this story also appears in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop.
It has already been over seven weeks since the Suzhou Marathon took place, but it was trending again today in light of a statement that has come out regarding a particular situation.
During the March 2nd Suzhou Marathon, which had over 25,000 participants, images and videos went viral showing how some runners stopped to take a toilet break and urinated against the main sign of the Jiangsu Suzhou Experimental Middle School (江苏省苏州实验中学).
At the time, the Suzhou Marathon soon released an official statement denouncing the “uncivilized” behavior of the runners.
Other images showed that there were portable toilets set up along the route, but even there, there were runners urinating in public.
Portable toilets along the route.
Runner urinating behind the portable toilets.
On April 24, the Chinese Athletics Association (中国田径协会, CAA), the national governing body for athletics in China, issued a statement saying that, according to the association’s disciplinary regulations, ten participants who urinated against the school sign have been banned from participating in any marathon affiliated with the CAA for the next three years, until March 1, 2028.
The Chinese Athletics Association further stated that they have decided to revoke Suzhou Marathon’s eligibility to apply for event certification in 2026.
Although most online commenters agree that the runners should be punished for their behavior, some also note that it seems “unfair” that Suzhou Marathon also cannot apply for organizing its 2026 marathon:
💬 “(..) because of the uncivilized behavior of just 10 people, Suzhou Marathon’s eligibility to apply for certification from the Chinese Athletics Association in 2026 was directly cancelled. Isn’t this kind of penalty a bit unfair to Suzhou? After all, just 20 meters away from where those people were peeing, there were many portable toilets set up.”
Just around the corner from where the runners urinated in public, there were plenty of portable toilets set up.
Where they peed against the wall, and the toilets nearby.
The punishment for the Suzhou Marathon seems to be a classic case of “killing the chicken to scare the monkey” (杀鸡儆猴): a drastic measure that sends a clear message to other marathons. Not only should they provide plenty of portable toilets, but they must also enforce measures or assign staff to ensure that another “pissing gate” doesn’t happen in the future.
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“Scared to Intervene”: Local Celebrity ‘Bag-Clutching Brother’ Stabbed to Death during Square Dancing
In a shocking incident caught on camera, a well-known Songyuan resident nicknamed “Brother Clutch Bag” was tragically stabbed to death. On Weibo, people react with disbelief.
In a stabbing incident caught on camera by bystanders, a man locally known as “Bag-Clutching Brother” (夹包哥) was killed in the city of Songyuan in China’s Jilin province on June 30.
The incident occurred around 19:00 at Bodune Square in the city’s Ningjiang District, where people often gather for square dancing.
One familiar face on the square was the 54-year-old Mr. Zhao, who became well-known locally for his eccentric square dancing while clutching a bag, earning him the nickname “Jiabaoge” (夹包哥), meaning “Bag-Clutching Brother” or “Brother Clutch Bag.” As a devoted “dancing king,” he had become somewhat of a local celebrity, and he also posted videos online of his dancing at the square.
“Brother Clutch Bag” had become somewhat of a local celebrity due to his personality, dancing style, and clutched bag.
Square dancing is common across Chinese cities. It’s when local residents, usually older and retired residents, meet at a public park or plaza in the mornings or evenings to perform synchronized dance routines together or improvise own dances while playing loud music.
On Sunday, a night of careless dancing abruptly transformed into a horrifying stabbing incident.
Footage circulating online shows Mr. Zhao dancing in the square before being approached by a man in a black t-shirt, who first bumps into him and then suddenly starts stabbing him while dozens of people stand by.
Moments later, Mr. Zhao can be seen lying on the floor in a puddle of blood while still being attacked by the man. Bystanders do not seem to have intervened at this point.
On July 2nd, the police released more information about the incident. The attacker, a 53-year-old man, has been detained. He had reportedly been drinking and did not personally know the victim, but apparently was triggered by his dancing and a moment of eye contact.
On Weibo, the topic went trending. “It’s terrifying!” one commenter wrote: “He just stabbed him like that in front of everyone, and so many people were watching.” “I’m speechless,” others said.
“Looking at the video, people just stand around without running away or saving him,” one person observed.
According to one account, a bystander who also knew Mr. Zhao said he wanted to help but was scared to intervene, fearing he might be implicated if the police ruled it a “mutual fight” (互殴) instead of justified defense (正当防卫).
One Toutiao blogger responded: “I’m sorry that for us ordinary people, these terms [justified defense vs mutual fight] have clouded our ability to judge. From the initial ‘whoever hits first is responsible’ to ‘it’s ruled justifiable defense once you’re hurt,’ and now to the so-called ‘mutual fight,’ determining who is responsible is entirely up to ‘them.’ As a result, people have become numb and fearful.”
“So many people were at the scene. If just one person had gone up and kicked him, they could have stopped it. But instead, all those people just looked on helplessly and watched him get stabbed to death. My God.”
Many other commenters on Weibo made similar remarks: “All these men standing around, was there not one of them who could have stopped it?”
The problem of bystanders not intervening has been a long-discussed issue in China. Some say it is related to a cultural attitude of “mind your own business” or “shaoguanxianshi” (少管闲事), where people are accustomed to remaining uninvolved when it does not concern them.
This attitude is often more pronounced in situations involving an altercation between a man and a woman, as people may feel it is a private issue. A notable example is the 2016 incident where a woman was attacked near a Beijing hotel without anyone stepping in to help.
While there might be specific Chinese social, cultural, and legal reasons why people are scared or hesitant to step in when someone needs help, the ‘bystander effect’ is a worldwide phenomenon. This effect describes the tendency for people not to help a victim in need when (many) other people are present.
It is a social psychological matter: the more people who witness a person in peril, the less likely it is that any one of them will intervene as they feel it is not their responsibility to do so. In other words, a person is more likely to help in an emergency situation when they are alone than when there are ten people standing by.
But on Chinese social media platforms, many discussing the tragic death of “Bag-Clutching Brother” believe that people in society today are just too self-centered: “Everyone stands in silence because the person on the floor isn’t them.”
Amidst this sentiment, the Chinese woman Hu Youping (胡友平) is seen as a ‘selfless heroine.’ The school bus attendant was recently praised by Chinese authorities and state media for her bravery in protecting a Japanese mother and child during a stabbing incident at a school bus stop in Suzhou, ultimately sacrificing her own life.
Meanwhile, Mr. Zhao, his clutched bag, and eccentric moves are now gaining nationwide fame after news of his death spread online. As people are visiting his Douyin account and old videos, they wish him a peaceful journey to the afterlife. “I’m sorry I got to know you like this, rest in peace, Brother Clutch Bag.”
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