Heat wave claims life of tour guide in Beijing

A tour guide's death due to heatstroke at the Summer Palace in Beijing has brought attention to the dangerous effects of the ongoing heat wave in the city.

The incident occurred on Sunday, when the tour guide, surnamed Gong, collapsed during a group tour and, despite immediate medical attention, passed away, Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Gong, previously a full-time tour guide for routes in Scandinavia, had transitioned to domestic tours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was the only child in his family, with aging parents relying on him.

Beijing has been experiencing a prolonged heat wave, with historical records recently broken over three consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 40 C. As the peak summer tourism season coincides with scorching weather, incidents related to heat exhaustion have become a concerning issue for tourist destinations like Beijing.

The Beijing Culture and Tourism Bureau issued notifications regarding the heat wave, urging necessary precautions for both visitors and industry professionals. The Beijing Tourism Industry Association has echoed these guidelines, reminding tourists and industry workers to rest and hydrate well, and prepare medications for the heat, adding that guides should not lead tours if they are feeling unwell.

According to the National Climate Center, China has experienced an unprecedented number of hot days for any year since 1961. Notably, Beijing has its highest number of hot days on record for this time of year.