A heatwave has driven Chinese tourists to seek sanctuary at a packed water park — and these extraordinary pictures show them having a whale of a time.
Thousands of holidaymakers with rubber rings and inflatable whales packed into the pool to cool off in a heatwave, which hit 89 degrees Fahrenheit on July 31.
Weeks of searing heat have driven sweltering city dwellers to the coast or to water parks, some of which feature wave machines.
Hundreds of swimmers bobbing in colorful rubber rings compete for space in chaotic scenes at a pool in Fushun, Liaoning Province.
Photos show thousands packed together, standing elbow to elbow amid a sea of people and bright-colored inflatables.
The Sun revealed similarly chaotic scenes on a packed beach where women in bizarre “facekini” costumes jostled for space in the sea in Qingdao.
The unusual garment — a fashion craze in recent years – is meant to protect women’s faces from sunlight and jellyfish stings.
The country is in the grip of a record heatwave with huge swathes of north, eastern and central China baking in temperatures in the high 80s or above.
Shanghai sweltered under a new record high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit two weeks ago and authorities issued a weather alert.