Iconic Chinese scenic park wants people to pay for their own rescue in an emergency

At the Yellow Mountains, about 300 search and rescue operations are launched a year, causing a financial strain

But some people worry travellers may get into serious trouble because they do not want to pay the bill

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The Yellow Mountains are a beautiful tourist attraction in eastern China. Photo: SCMP

Published: 9:00am, 18 Jun 2021Updated: 9:14am, 18 Jun 2021

People who are seeking a little adventure in one of China’s hottest tourist destinations may soon have to foot the bill if they get into an emergency.

The local government of Huangshan, which is the jumping-off point for people visiting the Yellow Mountains in eastern China’s Anhui province, issued a controversial directive that said people who enter undeveloped areas should pay for any required search and rescue efforts.

The plan would “prevent travellers from entering undeveloped areas or those not open to the public” and “improve the effective use of public rescue resources”.

Tourists flock to the Yellow Mountains in 2020. It is one of the most popular tourist locations in China. Photo: Weibo

The Yellow Mountains are a Unesco World Heritage Site and are famous for shockingly dramatic vertical cliffs that jut out of a beautiful natural environment. The area attracts nature enthusiasts, artists, photographers and history buffs seeking to visit a place often depicted in Chinese legends and myths.

It also attracts people who plan reckless adventures or find themselves in over their heads in nature.

According to the directive, adventurers who call for rescue would receive a bill after the mission is completed and would be added to a blacklist if they do not pay or raise an objection within three months.

The costs would include paying for the labour of the rescuers, their accident insurance, transport and any necessary emergency treatment, it said.

Because of their recklessness or foolish errors in judgment, they demand rescue, which is paid for by taxpayers.

Professor He Jianmin, from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics