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Doomsday rumours trigger panic buying in China
Candles, matches and 'Noah's Arks' have been selling like hot cakes in many places in China following online rumours of a coming event that some people believe will bring an end to the world.
Candles, matches and 'Noah's Arks' have been selling like hot cakes in many places in China following online rumours of a coming event that some people believe will bring an end to the world.
December 21 marks the conclusion of a 5,125-year-long Mayan calendar, a point associated with the apocalypse.
Panic buying in Shuangliu and Longchang counties, both in Sichuan province, was stirred by rumours of 'three consecutive days of darkness after Dec 21', Xinhua reported.
The rumours have been spreading via Sina Weibo, a popular microblogging site.
Businesses and online vendors have picked up on the rumours, offering packages of supplies, self-help manuals and even beauty products for the end times.
Yang Zongfu, from Yiwu in east China's Jiangsu province, sought to capitalise on the craze when he debuted his own version of 'Noah's Ark'.
Yang built a large stainless-steel ball intended to shelter survivors in the event of a world-ending event. It sells for five million yuan (up to $800,000). A man from Shanxi has purchased 15 such devices. The inventor has even received orders from New Zealand.
