Tourists are seen in the Summer Palace in Beijing on July 1, 2023. Photo: VCG

A tour guide died due to heat stroke when giving a tour at the Summer Palace in Beijing on Sunday, amid a scorching heatwave in the city, according to Beijing Radio & Television Station on Monday.

He was sent to the hospital immediately after showing symptoms, but unfortunately the guide died after unsuccessful emergency intervention, the report said.

The tour guide surnamed Gong, 48, had been a full-time guide for outbound tour teams, and was the only child in his family, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

China has recorded an average of 4.1 days this year where the temperature exceeded 35 C, the highest since records began in 1961, according to a notice from China's National Climate Center. Within northern parts of the country, Beijing has been the most severely affected, followed by the neighboring Hebei Province and Tianjin Municipality.

The incident triggered a heated discussion on heat stroke prevention. Experts warned that the risky period is generally between 10 am and 4 pm, as the highest temperatures are during this period. People have been advised to avoid going out during this period, and to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

Gong had already felt discomfort after leading the tour group into the Summer Palace for an hour, but he still insisted on taking the group of students on a bus trip, said one of his colleagues, according to Chengdu-based media outlet Red Star News.

Another former colleague surnamed Liu told Red Star News that Gong didn't feel well after making introductions to the tourist attractions in the Summer Palace. Gong's father is 80 years old and lives alone as his mother developed Alzheimer's a few years ago and is now in a nursing home, said Liu.

A member of staff at the travel agency where Gong worked said that they will actively follow up on the incident, according to the report.

The temperature was around 35 C to 36 C at noon on Sunday in most areas of Beijing, according to the report.

Beijing will enter the high incidence period of natural disasters in July, according to the municipal emergency bureau, with particular attention being paid to the risk of extreme heat.

High temperatures have a certain impact on open-air operations, as well as senior citizens, the sick, and the young, the bureau warned.

Global Times