S China braces for typhoon Mujigae

Fishing boats return to harbor as they brace for typhoon Mujigae in Haikou, Hainan province.[chinanews.com]

HAIKOU - South China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces shut some of their coastal tourist destinations Saturday as they brace for typhoon Mujigae, which is expected to land on Sunday.

Tourism departments in Haikou and Sanya, the two largest cities in the island province of Hainan, have closed all mountain activities over safety concerns.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, the storm was about 470 kilometers off the coast of Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, packing strong winds of up to 33 meters per second.

The storm is forecast to move northwest at a speed of 20 km per hour until it reaches the shores in Hainan and nearby Guangdong Province on Sunday morning.

In Guangdong, 38,900 fishing boats have returned to harbor or nearby shelters. More than 10,000 fishermen went ashore from their fish farms.

The Guangdong provincial government ordered suspension of all maritime travel and entertainment activities.

The tropical storm coincides with China's week-long National Day holiday, and many tourists are vacationing on the Hainan island.

More than 80,000 people visited Hainan on Friday, up 8.65 percent from the same period a year ago, statistics from the province show.

Provincial authorities also suspended trains and ferries between the island and the mainland on Friday night and ordered all boats to return to harbor by 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Airports in Hainan are also expected to readjust flights and make arrangements for stranded passengers.