Each summer, China’s southern regions are afflicted by severe flooding. Chinese attitudes towards such natural disasters are complex: While some retreat in panic, the majority choose to stay, holding firm to the belief that while floodwater may carry away their home and their possessions, it will never move their determination to construct a new life for themselves.  

Staying Home

At the end of last June, a dike burst in Linchuan District, Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, causing havoc for more than 100,000 people in an area covering 70 square kilometers. The flood swept through fields and villages, and was three meters at its deepest point. In such circumstances, it would be no surprise to see masses of refugees fleeing for drier ground. But in Fuzhou, things were different.

Luozhen and Changkai were the most badly affected towns in Fuzhou, with all the villages in the area besieged by torrential water. Despite this, most of the villagers were reluctant to leave, even after relief workers had told them it was wise to do so, and even after some of their homes had been divided into two parts: In the lower portion, their furniture, kitchenware, and domestic animals were submerged in water; while above the second floor, villagers had to struggle against hunger and the constant annoyance of mosquitoes and bugs. But they banded together and supported each other, praying that the floodwaters would subside quickly so that they could begin the arduous task of rebuilding their lives.

In Zhouran Village, Zhang Jinming and his wife actually moved their four home-bred pigs from the pen on the first floor to safety on the second. The water had arrived so fast: Two minutes after the dike burst in Changkai, Zhouran, a mere two kilometers away, was beneath a giant lake. “I couldn’t leave because I was so concerned about my home appliances, furniture, poultry and livestock,” Zhang explained. “Fortunately, the government offered relief.” Like many of their neighbors, the Zhang couple sent their parents and child to urban areas and moved everything that they could carry to the second floor, where they stayed to keep watch over family belongings.

Because the flood cut off the electricity and water supply, households began stockpiling bottled mineral water, instant noodles, and candles. Besides government support, villagers tried to improve the situation through their own efforts. Hu Pingchu, a 60-year-old villager in Luozhen, didn’t flinch when the floodwaters struck his home. He simply carried on with his business — peddling vegetables on the street. Hu grew the vegetables himself, and refused to take advantage of local suffering by raising the price.