Hangzhou Center Offers Paid Typhoon and Flood Simulation Training

Huang Zhen closed his cafe in Hangzhou for a day last week to attend typhoon survival training at the Lvxing Disaster Simulation Training Center. The 34-year-old joined 11 others who paid 1,599 yuan each to be buffeted by winds reaching 165 kilometers per hour and wade through hundreds of tons of water in controlled conditions.

The center, which opened in May 2025, states it is the first facility worldwide dedicated to typhoon simulation.

One section releases 900 metric tons of water to replicate mountain flooding, while another requires participants to move through 400 tons in a mock urban setting. More than 160,000 people have completed sessions there. China’s National Climate Center projects up to six typhoons will form in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea during July, above the historical average of 3.8.

Typhoon Bavi recently caused severe flooding that forced millions to evacuate. Wang Kuanghan, the center’s chief instructor, said five additional facilities are planned across China within three years and will add simulations for fires and earthquakes. “If you ask me, the most important survival skill during a typhoon is simply not to go outside,” he said.

Wu Zijian, a 44-year-old freelance worker from near Shanghai, cited the recent storm as motivation for attending. “Typhoon Bavi hit just a couple of days ago, making people realize that typhoon hazards are far more of a threat than we thought,” he said. Huang Zhen noted that an opportunity like this gives participants a clearer sense of disaster levels and improves preparedness.