You, too, can cool off - for a price

Shanghai resident Wang Liyun made one of the most hasty travel decisions of her life when she applied for annual leave, escaped the heat and took shelter with her family in Qingdao, Shandong province.

Tortured by the heat wave that has broiled eastern China for about two weeks, the 35-year-old bank worker booked a flight and left Shanghai with her son on Friday, when the mercury there surged to a record high 40.9 C.

Without doubt, the trip was costly - 1,200 yuan ($178) per day on average. Her total expenses in the seaside city north of Shanghai were higher than a trip to Japan.