China's 'Pay to Suffer' Tourism Trend

A novel tourism trend in China, termed 'paying to suffer,' is gaining significant popularity. This involves participants engaging in simulated disaster experiences, such as facing typhoon-strength winds and flash floods in controlled environments. Companies like Lvxing Base, which opened a 200,000 square meter facility in Hangzhou in 2024, simulate extreme weather to offer participants a visceral understanding of disaster scenarios.

Many participants, primarily aged 20-30, are drawn by the desire for excitement and to test their resilience. Lvxing Base plans to expand with five more centers across China, offering simulations for earthquakes and fires. Public safety museums in Beijing and Guangzhou also feature immersive disaster experiences, including earthquake simulators capable of replicating a 7.2 magnitude quake.

This trend aligns with local governments' 2024 instructions to promote immersive disaster education. Extreme weather events have become more frequent in China, with 67 million people affected by disasters in 2025. This backdrop fuels the demand for practical preparedness training through simulation.

Alongside simulated events, a segment of Chinese travelers is visiting actual sites of historical tragedies. Examples include the preserved ruins of Beichuan, devastated by the May 2008 earthquake, and the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, which sees high demand for its daily visitor slots. These visits allow travelers to confront past suffering and reflect on national resilience.