WORLD / ASIA-PACIFIC
Two Chinese tourists found dead in Bali hotel during May Day holidays
Published: May 05, 2023 12:59 AM
People are seen at an exit of Bali Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, a famous tourist destination of Indonesia, Nov. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

People are seen at an exit of Bali Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, a famous tourist destination of Indonesia, Nov. 9, 2022. File photo: Xinhua/Xu Qin


Two Chinese tourists, a man and a woman, were found dead on Monday at a hotel in Bali, Indonesia, and both victims were naked at the time of their death. Local authorities are currently investigating the case and have not yet been able to determine whether the two committed suicide or were murdered, according to local media reports. 

The tragic incident occurred during the bustling May Day holidays, when more than 274 million domestic trips were made and over 6.265 million tourists flew to different parts of the world to enjoy the hard-won leisure time. 

The victims are reported to be a 25-year-old man surnamed Li from South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and a 22-year-old woman surnamed Cheng from East China's Jiangxi Province, who were staying in room 4223 at the hotel.

A member of staff at the hotel received a call from a guest who said they heard another guest calling for help in the hallway at around 6:34 am on Monday morning, according to local media reports, adding that the male victim was found lying in the hotel corridor, covered in blood with wounds on his neck and left leg.

The female victim was found in the bathroom, with a wound to her neck. Both of them were reportedly naked at the time of discovery. The hotel room was booked by Li, who checked into the hotel alone around 8 pm on April 30, as shown by the hotel CCTV camera. 

Cheng arrived at 12:17 am on Monday and shortly afterwards the two ordered food, which was delivered to the room at 1:17 am.

A police officer in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, where the woman lived, told the Beijing News on Thursday that the woman was a local resident who had gone to Thailand to study on April 25.

Local authorities in Guangxi, where the other victim lived, said they were contacting the victim's family.

Bali has always been a popular destination for Chinese tourists, and the hotel involved is often featured in travel guides. So far, the hotel has not made any statement regarding the matter, and its official website still shows that bookings can be made as normal.

Earlier on April 28, the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar issued a message reminding Chinese citizens traveling to Bali during the May Day holiday to pay attention to their safety.

"We are all shocked that this has happened in Bali," said a Chinese tour guide, who added that the incident has not yet had a big impact on Chinese tourists' travel plans in the region. "The subsequent impact on Bali tourism remains to be seen," she added.