Test your typhoon survival skills at this center in China

On average, seven typhoons make landfall in China each year, most of them during the summer months. Yet despite their regular occurrence, the vast majority of people across the country have never experienced one firsthand, and are fortunate not to have.

For those curious about the immense power of these storms, however, a disaster simulation training center in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou offers a rare opportunity to experience it in a safe, controlled environment.

Inside the warehouse-sized facility, participants can battle typhoon-force winds, be swept away by a torrent unleashed as a floodgate releases 900 tonnes of water, escape from a flooded underground parking garage, and take part in a range of other realistic emergency scenarios. The simulations are designed to recreate both the intensity and the psychological pressure of natural disasters, allowing visitors to experience the fear, urgency, and split-second decision-making involved, without the real-world danger.

Wang Kuanghan, the center's director and chief instructor, said the facility welcomed around 100,000 visitors last year and expects even more this year. Combined with classroom instruction, the hands-on simulations aim to improve disaster preparedness by giving participants practical experience they can draw on in real emergencies. While schoolchildren remain the center's largest group of visitors, Wang said many people who have previously experienced typhoons or floods also come to learn, adding that "public awareness of disaster preparedness is growing."

China has been hit by three typhoons so far this year, all in July. They have brought torrential rains that resulted in a deadly flood in Guangxi, and prompted millions to evacuate in preparation of their impact. 

When Typhoon Noul made landfall in southern China on July 26, it packed maximum sustained winds of 151 kph (94 mph). At the simulation center, industrial fans can generate winds of up to 166 kph (103 mph), giving visitors a firsthand experience of conditions comparable to those faced by residents in Guangdong at the height of the storm.

While China has established similar simulation facilities in recent years to train state rescue personnel, the Hangzhou center is believed to be the country's first privately operated complex of its kind. It also describes itself as the world's first indoor venue offering immersive, multi-hazard disaster simulations under one roof.

Opened in 2024, the center was founded by adventurers Zhang Xinyu and Liang Hong, a husband-and-wife team best known for an online reality series chronicling their expeditions around the world.

In promotional materials, the founders say their passion for taking on extreme challenges during their travels inspired them to create a place where others could safely experience similar situations. The Hangzhou center is the first in a planned nationwide network, with five additional locations expected to open over the next three years in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Xi'an.