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Alice Yan

A man in northeastern China who was filmed pushing his bicycle through deep water on his way to work amid torrential rain has trended on social media.
The video triggered an outpouring of emotion after internet users learned that the man was a doctor who had appointments to perform surgery on two patients that day, state news agency Xinhua reported.
It was on July 13 when Shenyang, in Liaoning province, was hit by a serious downpour, with precipitation measuring 230mm.
The local government announced that it was the heaviest rainfall since 1951. Numerous roads were flooded and most public transport was paralysed.
The authorities urged the public to suspend their work and studies.
But according to China’s laws, some people with special duties, such as medical workers, soldiers, police officers and firefighters, should stay at their posts.
The man in the video was Chu Zhenhao, an obstetrician at Shengjing Hospital, a top medical institution in the country’s northeast.

Although the authorities had told most residents to stay at home that day, Chu still went to work because he is a doctor.
According to the viral video taken by a passer-by, Chu was wading through the water, which reached his waist, and pushing his bike.
As the video circulated online, many internet users wondered why Chu had to do his job in spite of the tremendous challenge in getting to work.
Chu told the media he had agreed with two pregnant women to perform two complicated operations on them.

“So no matter what, I must try my best to reach the hospital to perform the surgeries,” Chu was quoted as saying.
“As a doctor, I must put patients’ safety as my top priority in my heart. If we took a break, patients would be in a risky situation.”
Chu said he normally cycled to work.
“I did not expect the water to be so deep that I could not ride my bike through it,” he said.
He said all his colleagues had come to work on that rainy day.
“I am only an ordinary member of tens of thousands of medical staff in the city. Not only us, but also people of other industries stayed at their positions. The public’s praise should go to all those people,” Chu said.

“Thank you, Doctor! Salute to all those angels in white,” one internet user said.
Another person commented: “All those who ignore their own safety to stick to their positions deserve respect from society.”
Moving stories involving people staying at their posts to tackle floods have captivated social media in the country in recent weeks.
In early July, a firefighter was filmed eating his lunch in heavy rain during a work break while dealing with a flood disaster in southwestern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.


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Trending in China

A man who went viral for wading through deep Shenyang floodwaters while pushing his bicycle was later revealed to be a surgeon racing to perform two critical operations. Photo: Douyin

Despite official orders suspending work and classes, Dr Chu, above, — from northeast China’s top-tier Shengjing Hospital — had to report to duty as an exempt essential medical worker. Photo: Handout

Dr Chu is pictured above performing a surgical operation. He later told the media that he had promised two pregnant patients he would personally perform their complex surgeries that day. Photo: Handout

The photo above shows a police officer and a firefighter rescuing a stranded vehicle during heavy rainfall in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning province, on July 13, 2026. Photo: Xinhua/Li Gang

A 71-year-old grandmother in Anhui, eastern China, is earning widespread praise after jumping into a river to rescue a drowning man. Photo: Douyin

The white-haired retiree recalled chatting with her friends near the bridge when sudden shouts alerted her that someone had fallen into the water. Photo: Baidu

Some members of the public heavily praised Liu for her decisive bravery, noting that she plunged into the river without a single moment of hesitation. Photo: Baidu

Chinese teenager lies to parents about holiday to secretly help flood victims in Guangxi

After completing his gaokao exam, a Shanghai teenager told his parents he was heading out on a leisure holiday, but secretly embarked on a 13-hour journey to flood-stricken Guangxi with a friend. Photo: QQ.com

Weeks of typhoon-driven rain triggered devastating floods across Guangxi, claiming 39 lives. Photo: gmw.cn

Wu stated they had no intention of playing heroes, but simply wanted to serve as a small cog in the relief efforts. Photo: gmw.cn

Volunteers moving essential supplies to stranded victims proved vital to regional relief efforts. Photo: gmw.cn

A Guangdong resident called the police suspecting a death due to a foul odour, but officers found that a neighbour was simply cooking soup with stinky vinegar. Photo: SCMP composite/QQ.com/RedNote

A police officer responded to a residence in Guangdong following a report of a foul odour resembling that of a decaying body. Photo: QQ.com

When cooking with Guangdong’s stinky fart vinegar, it serves best as a hearty base for hotpots or stews rather than simply as a cold condiment. Photo: QQ.com

Traditional earthenware jars ferment vinegar (above). In Guangdong’s humid climate, “stinky vinegar” is widely consumed to combat summer heat and fatigue. Photo: QQ.com

Chinese man swims 3 hours clutching tyre to check on parents in flooded village

A man in Guangxi, China, braved a three-hour swim using only a tyre to check on his parents during severe village flooding. Photo: SCMP composite/Xinhua/chengdu.cn

Despite being a strong swimmer, battling the turbulent floodwaters for three hours proved deeply exhausting for Xie. Photo: Handout

Faced with another hour of swimming for the final kilometre, Xie and his friend bought two new truck tyres from a town shop to aid their journey. Photo: Handout

Relieved but furious upon seeing her drenched son, Xie’s mother, above, burst into tears and scolded him for risking his life. Photo: Handout

The wild footage Xie filmed during his swim went viral online, racking up nearly 2 million views and over 20,000 likes. Photo: Handout

From bankruptcy to viral critic: the remarkable journey of Chinese veteran actor Li Chengru

Acclaimed veteran Chinese actor Li Chengru is widely celebrated for his versatile performances and sharp, candid television commentary. Photo: SCMP composite/Baidu/QQ.com 

Li, far left, is seen in a archival photo with companions; he was the youngest of 11 children born to his parents, who operated a traditional silk shop. Photo: QQ.com

Early in his career, Li’s acting teacher predicted his face would not bring him fame before age 40. When the prophecy held true and acting roles dried up, Li pivoted to backstage production work. Photo: QQ.com

At the height of his clothing retail business, Li lived lavishly — wearing luxury suits worth over 15,000 yuan (US$2,200), and driving high-end Mercedes and BMW vehicles. Photo: QQ.com

Following a sudden business bankruptcy that caused him to go bald overnight from sheer shock, Li returned to his original passion of acting to rebuild his life. Photo: QQ.com

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Obstetrician has appointments to perform operations on two pregnant women, pushes bike through waist-high water to get to hospital


Obstetrician has appointments to perform operations on two pregnant women, pushes bike through waist-high water to get to hospital.


Chinese doctor wades through severe floodwaters to reach patients, winning widespread praise

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Obstetrician has appointments to perform operations on two pregnant women, pushes bike through waist-high water to get to hospital

Obstetrician has appointments to perform operations on two pregnant women, pushes bike through waist-high water to get to hospital