Swarms of Grasshoppers Descend Upon the City of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia

Swarms of Grasshoppers Raid the City of Hohhot and It May Last One Week

According to report by "Morning Post of Inner Mongolia", millions of grasshoppers raided Hohhot--the green city beyond the border.

Mrs. Liu from Shiyangqiao Road at Yuquan district of Hohhot called reporters early this morning and informed us that countless grasshoppers had descended in front of her house. It is almost unimaginable that there could be so many.

The reporter swiftly arrived at the place informed by Mrs. Liu. Our news vehicle had barely parked when swarms of grasshoppers launched their attack. The windshields resounded with the thumps made by flying insects. Even though the reporter got out of the vehicle promptly and closed the door, a dozen grasshoppers had already flown inside. As soon as the reporter set his feet on the ground, dozens of grasshoppers took off. After standing still, it was discovered that grasshoppers were densely distributed in a length of more than 200 metres on the 4-5 metre-wide roads. While observing this spectacle, grasshoppers periodically charged at the reporter. An old woman of over 70 years told the reporter: "I have never seen so many grasshoppers all my life." A waiter from a nearby restaurant also told the reporter, "Around 11 pm on the 30th, many grasshoppers suddenly flew in. By 1:00 am on the 31st, the grasshoppers numbered so many that waiters at the restaurant dared not go outside. On the scene, the reporter watched as an old man filled a linen bag full of grasshoppers. He said he was taking grasshoppers home to feed his chickens. Afterwards, the reporter found grasshoppers covering many areas, such as Yili Plaza, West Zhongshan Road, the Green-City alley, and more.

Grasshoppers Fill Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia

The Central News Agency reported on August 1 that Hohhot City of Inner Mongolia has encountered a rarely seen grasshopper rampage. Countless grasshoppers filled the streets and alleys in Hohhot City, flying everywhere and devouring all vegetation from the city's green belt.

Xinhua News Net reports that on the boulevards of Hohhot City, including the Green-City Alley, Zhongshan Road, grasshoppers densely covered the road surface, meadow, tree and walls of roadside buildings. They were about one-inch long and mostly brown or green.

Everywhere on the road were fallen leaves cut by the grasshoppers and run over carcasses of grasshoppers. When people or vehicles approached, swarms of startled grasshoppers flew into the air to disperse. Along the road of the Green-City Alley, grasshoppers were crushed into piles by passing-by vehicles. City clean-up workers swept the street every once in a while, yet the grasshoppers rapidly covered the ground once again and a thick odour from the crushed grasshoppers permeated in the air.

Walking on the street of Hohhot, our faces were intermittently hit by flying hoppers. From time to time, the hoppers landed on our clothes and hair. 84-year-old Wang, Fengying said that she has lived here for 67 years and it is the first time she has seen so many grasshoppers.

Bai Quanjiang, Director of the Institute of Plant Protection at the Academy of Agriculture in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, explained that these hoppers belong to the Asian little-wheel locust. They mainly come from pastures and fields in Wuchuan County, Darlminan Combined Communities, and other locations. These hoppers are light sensitive and are attracted to the city area by illumination at night.

Some residents questioned that Hohhot City is illuminated every night, so why are these hoppers only doing this now? The explanation offered by Director Bai is too ridiculous by far; surely he himself does not even believe it.

Strange things are occurring more and more in China.

Chinese version available at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200308/22960.html