China police officers dig through sand with bare hands to search for Taiwan tourist’s lost phone

Chinese Police officers dug through sand with their bare hands to search for a Taiwan tourist’s lost phone, winning widespread online applause.Having successfully retrieved her phone, the woman presented her Taiwan resident travel permit in front of the camera and exclaimed “We, China is the safest country in the world”.The woman, surnamed Tsao, lost her phone around 11pm in the Singing Sand Dunes tourist site in Dunhuang, northwestern China’s Gansu province, on May 15.Taiwan tourist Tsao, above, was delighted about her mobile phone being found. Photo: XinhuaThe Singing Sand Dunes is a nationally famous tourist spot. The shifting sand makes a musical humming sound when the wind blows. It also features a spectacular natural oasis named after its shape, the Crescent Moon Spring.The site was dark and cold at night, and the sand was so soft that if a person walked on it, the phone might sink deeper. Also, the wind shifted the sand, moving lost items together.She said she was “in despair” as staff waited with her for the Police officers, who arrived in just four minutes.The two officers of the tourist site immediately began searching after asking the phone’s whereabouts.A Police officer, above, uses his bare hands to search through the sand in the dark. Photo: weixinThey bent down again and again, digging through the sand with their bare hands.One of the officers, Shang Yingjun, felt a phone strap close to the dune’s peak, and successfully recovered Tsao’s phone.The tourist site’s Police office had gone viral online many times because of their outstanding skills searching for lost items in the sand.They endured the scorching summer heat in the dunes during the day and the cold wind at night. They could reach the peak in just 10 minutes, while it would take ordinary tourists 30 minutes. They often walk 30,000 to 40,000 steps a day to help tourists.Two Police officers show off a gratitude banner they received for their work. Photo: weixinSo far this year, they have recovered 260 lost items for tourists, from phones to car keys and even wedding rings. They had received over 100 pennants of thanks from tourists in just a year.Further ReadingIn 2025, a tourist asked them about a phone he lost in the sand half a year ago, and surprisingly received a reply that they had found it.The Police would use the phone’s built-in GPS to narrow down the search range, then use a metal detector or search with their bare hands.Tourists riding camels visit the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot during a summer holiday. Photo: Getty ImagesIn another case, the Police searched for three hours to recover the wedding ring of a newlywed couple. They used a sanitation worker’s dustpan to scoop sand and search little by little.Shang said that when the tourists thanked them for finding their lost items, they were usually too tired to respond, despite also feeling excited deep down.“She is so lucky to have found her phone,” an online observer said.“These Police officers have shown me the true meaning of ‘serve the people wholeheartedly’,” said another.