Visitors enjoy hotpot at the water park in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, on August 2, 2025. Photos in this page: VCG

As scorching temperatures sweep across China and meteorological departments issue wave after wave of heat alerts, many cities have entered what netizens jokingly call "barbecue mode."

But high temperatures are no match for the creativity of the Chinese public. From hotpot meals enjoyed while soaking in pools to games of ping-pong in wartime air raid shelters, and even mung bean soup styled like a classical Suzhou garden, people across the country are showcasing imaginative ways to stay cool and have fun.

In the Fuling district of Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, despite the 43 C heat, tourists were found dipping into a 26 C pool while cooking spicy hotpot - a dramatic contrast dubbed "ice and fire in one frame." According to the district's publicity office, the scenic area has also launched "watermelon hotpot," where a whole melon is hollowed out and used as the pot. 

In Central China's Hubei Province, Wuhan residents have transformed air raid shelters into natural air-conditioned lounges. Inside the Sheshan civil defense facility, where the temperature remains a steady 19 C, elderly residents in light jackets play chess while others dance in groups. Young people gather with laptops to enjoy free Wi-Fi, the China National Radio (CNR) reported.

"This place is more popular than a trendy café," a staff member quipped, quoted by the CNR. "If you come in the afternoon, there's not even a seat left." 

Meanwhile, in Central China's Henan Province, subway stations in Zhengzhou have become midday sanctuaries for workers. 

Zhang Wei, a construction worker, and his colleagues spread mats near the wall to take a nap. "It's 40 C outside but only 28 C in here. We save on air conditioning and still get some rest," he told the People's Daily. 

Local authorities have made it easier for residents to find relief from the heat through mobile searches for civil defense shelters and designated cooling stations. This year, five of these spots have been upgraded into community service hubs, equipped not only with chairs and cooling supplies but also public amenities.

Residents of East China's Jiangsu Province have taken a more elegant approach. In Suzhou, a cup of traditional-style mung bean soup has been elevated into a miniature landscape garden. With mint-infused water forming the base, candied fruits arranged as pavilions, and thin slices of jelly resembling koi fish, a gentle stir reveals a dynamic scroll of scenery, according to a report by the China Tourism News on Tuesday.

Even ancient cooling techniques are making a comeback. According to the Xinhua News Agency, historical sites reveal how past generations beat the heat. Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) nobles in Shanxi Province are depicted placing ice blocks in wooden trays to chill fruit, while Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) street vendors sold "ice snow cold water," a name that still sends shivers down the spine.

China has seen record-breaking temperatures since the start of the flood season, with heatwaves arriving earlier and persisting longer than usual. The average temperature was the second-highest on record, Jia Xiaolong, deputy head of the National Climate Center, told a press conference, the Xinhua News Agency reported in late July.

A total of 45 national weather stations have logged record-high daily temperatures, with Shaanxi's Xingping hitting 43.1 C.

China has made adapting to climate change a priority. Notably, in 2024, the country released a national plan to build early warning systems for climate-related health risks. 

Global Times

Citizens read, study, play chess and cards inside a wartime air raid shelter in Wuchang District, Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, on July 28, 2025.

 

Tourists experience an extreme transition from scorching heat to chilly cold in the 10 C ice-snow kingdom at the Polar Ocean Resort in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, on August 2, 2025.

 

Children read books at Xinhua Bookstore on Guanqian Street in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, on August 4, 2025.

 

Parents and children cool off by playing in a fountain at the Wukesong commercial block in Beijing, on August 1, 2025.

 

A giant panda lies on ice bricks to enjoy the coolness at Chongqing Zoo in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, on August 5, 2025.