Premier Li Keqiang inspected the flood-hit ancient town of Ciqikou at the Jialing River bank, Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, on Aug 20.

The town, which sits at a dock, has become a tourist site with thriving commercial activity. Yet the heavy flooding has impacted many shops and homes, with some low-lying buildings nearly submerged.

The Premier checked the situation along the river and visited several shops and households. On the wall of a specialty food shop, water stains can be clearly seen at the height of about 1 meter.

The Premier asked the shop owner about the loss, and the owner answered that thanks to the early warning, most of the goods were saved ahead of the flood.

Premier Li also asked about the impact of the pandemic on the shop’s business, including how long the shop was closed, whether the tax and rent have been reduced, and the major difficulties at present. The shop owner answered the Premier’s questions and said the major difficulty is the greatly reduced customer flow.

Premier Li said to the owner that the flood will be defeated, and more favorable policies will be issued to support the business and help them recover from the pandemic and flood’s impact.

Before leaving the town, the Premier bought three bags of fried dough twists in a local snack store, supporting the business as a customer.