CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: PROF. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

World / Asia

Beijing shuts tourist sites, suspends bus routes as rain continues

Published: 12 Aug 2026 - 11:01 am | Last Updated: 12 Aug 2026 - 11:02 am
Staff members drain flood water from a water-logged road in Weishi County of Kaifeng, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 11, 2026. (Photo by Li Xinyi/Xinhua)

Staff members drain flood water from a water-logged road in Weishi County of Kaifeng, central China's Henan Province, Aug. 11, 2026. (Photo by Li Xinyi/Xinhua)

Xinhua

Beijing: Beijing shut tourist attractions, suspended bus services and construction work, and evacuated residents from high-risk areas as heavy rain continued to lash the Chinese capital on Wednesday.

The city closed 151 tourist attractions and 157 camping sites, and suspended operations at more than 4,100 rural homestays. A total of 250 bus routes were halted, while trains on 10 subway lines were ordered to run at reduced speeds. All sightseeing boat services were also suspended.

Beijing recorded an average of 23.5 millimeters of rain from Tuesday noon to 8am Wednesday, with the heaviest rainfall reported in Miyun District, where 199.6 millimeters fell.

By 6pm Tuesday, residents in mountainous villages, low-lying areas and other places at risk of flooding and geological disasters had been evacuated, authorities said.

More than 5,000 elderly people were evacuated from 271 care facilities, while over 280 people were moved from five facilities serving people with disabilities.

All 3,357 construction sites across the city were ordered to suspend work. Authorities also stepped up flood-control measures, with reservoirs releasing water in advance to create additional storage capacity.

The National Meteorological Center renewed its orange alert for torrential rain on Wednesday, forecasting heavy rain across a broad swath of the country through Thursday morning.