Beijing. A new and unique trend of Dark Tourism in China is becoming increasingly popular. Now people are not only going to see places related to war, earthquake or accidents, but Experience disaster yourself by paying money Are doing. Youth and families are facing fear and distress by being exposed to situations like simulated storms, torrential rains and floods. Along with this, they are also being given training in rescue and survival skills during disaster.
Located in Hangzhou, China Lavxing Base Has emerged as a major center for such experiences. Launched in September 2024, this center is being touted as China's first immersive natural disaster simulation center.
Experience storm and flood by paying 12 thousand rupees
According to media reports, here adults can experience simulated storms, heavy rains and flash floods. 899 yuan i.e. around Rs 12,750 Have to spend.
around there 5,000 yuan The family package also includes training on jungle survival and water rescue. Children aged 6 to 14 years can also participate in some selected activities.
In the simulation center, such situations are created which give an experience like a real disaster. It is stated that here winds up to 165 kilometers per hour Can be produced. Before the start of the activity, participants are donned in thermal suits and helmets.
Instructors explain survival methods during a disaster and security personnel are present throughout the exercise.
The water reached up to my neck, out of fear I forgot that everything was fake.
Speaking to South China Morning Post, a participant named Xiaofei said that she had never felt a storm or flood so closely before.
During the flood simulation, the underground parking started filling up with water and the water reached up to his neck. She said that the fear created at that time was so real that for some time she forgot that it was just an exercise.
During the flash flood exercise, the strong flow of water hit him against a concrete pillar, which also injured his leg. His group also included foreign tourists. Everyone helped each other during the crisis.
After all, why are people spending money?
According to Zhang Yong, a professor of social work at Wuhan University, in today's era when people are constantly battling competition and uncertainty, such experiences give them an opportunity to realize how better they can respond to crisis situations.
That is, the purpose of these activities is not just to experience fear, but To test one's ability to handle oneself and survive in difficult situations. Is also.
Idea came from the experiences of 'Crazy Couple'
The story of Zhang Xinyu and Liang Hong is also behind such a program. This Chinese couple has traveled to many dangerous and challenging areas of the world since 2012.
Both have gone inside the volcano. They have traveled to Chernobyl's radiation zone, war zones in the Middle East, and Antarctica. Both of them also got married in Antarctica.
Now his goal is to organize these experiences. Survival and Disaster Training Program To change this, so that people can be taught practical ways to deal with the crisis and also develop a sense of respect for nature.
Is it right to turn disaster into entertainment?
This new form of dark tourism has also sparked ethical debate. Proponents say it can be useful if people learn survival skills by safely experiencing disaster-like situations themselves.
But critics question Is it fair to make the tragedies of real people a part of entertainment and business?
For people who lose their homes and families in floods or earthquakes, disaster is not a thrill but a real tragedy. In such a situation, it is natural to raise questions about the tendency to spend money to experience a fake disaster.
There are also places associated with real tragedies in China
This new commercial form of dark tourism in China is different. There are also many places in the country where people go to understand the real tragedies and history.
in these Memorials associated with the 2008 Sichuan Wenchuan earthquake and sites related to the Nanking Massacre. Here no fake disaster is experienced, rather real events and the collective memory related to them are put forward.
According to experts, such places give people an opportunity to understand death and tragedy and learn from history. Disaster simulation centers are becoming increasingly popular in China. Fear, thrill and survival training By combining them together we are creating a new form of dark tourism.