Security Guard Wins Praise for Keeping Gate Open to Shelter Tourists From Rain

A security guard at a historic tourist site in eastern China has won online praise after he quietly delayed closing a gate for an hour to shelter dozens of visitors trapped by a sudden downpour, People's Daily has reported.

The incident happened on June 20 at the south gate of Tianyi Pavilion, a landmark library and scenic area in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

A local resident, surnamed Xu, was walking with his child in the Tianyi Pavilion neighborhood when heavy rain suddenly began. He took shelter under the eaves of the south gate, which also serves as an exit for visitors leaving the scenic area.

Soon, more tourists crowded in. Xu said about 40 to 50 people, most of them out-of-town visitors without umbrellas, were standing under the main eaves and in a small inner courtyard. The rain was too heavy for anyone to leave.

The site was scheduled to close at 5:30pm, but Xu noticed a security guard walking back and forth under the eaves, checking his watch and looking out at the rain. The guard did not urge anyone to leave. Instead, he stepped out several times to check the weather, each time returning with one side of his body soaked.

Xu later posted a video of the scene on his personal video account.

"The south gate of Tianyi Pavilion, which should have been locked at 5:30pm, was quietly kept open until 6:30pm because of a sudden rainstorm," he wrote. "The guard's waiting did more than shield people from the rain. It showed the warmth of a city."

The guard was later identified as Cao Zengyi, a longtime employee responsible for clearing visitors and managing the south gate. He had not mentioned the incident to colleagues, and managers at Tianyi Pavilion only learned about it after screenshots and video clips began circulating online.

A site official said Cao had finished clearing the area at about 5:40pm and brought the last group of visitors to the south gate, where the rain was still pouring. Under normal rules, the gate should have been locked.

Instead, Cao stayed with the stranded tourists until about 6:30 pm, when they were able to leave safely.

Officials praised Cao for his flexible and considerate response. Colleagues said he is known for being responsible and attentive, and has previously handed in lost phones and wallets containing thousands of yuan in cash.