During the Chinese New Year period, on February 21st, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, an 8-year-old boy from Yunnan followed his parents to the Tiger Leaping Gorge scenic area for leisure and tragically fell off a cliff, resulting in his death. Some netizens commented that “parents should not bring children to such dangerous places for recreational activities”.
A video circulating online shows the child falling to the bottom of the cliff, and it appears that the child’s father rushed down, picked up the boy, and cried in agony. Witnesses mentioned that the boy’s head was covered in blood. According to mainland media reports, the incident occurred on the afternoon of the 21st in the Tiger Leaping Gorge in Shangri-La City, Deqen Prefecture, Yunnan. When medical personnel arrived at 5:00 PM, the boy showed no vital signs due to severe head injuries.
It was disclosed by an informed source that the boy was on the outing with his father and grandmother. A local outdoor guide stated on the 22nd that he and his colleagues were at the scene when the incident happened. The spot where the accident occurred was less than 3 kilometers away from the nearest guesthouse and was a section of a wild hiking trail in the middle of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. The trail is a bit over 1 meter wide, and due to strong winds on the mountain that day, the child accidentally fell and rolled down over 20 meters, leading to his tragic death.
An eyewitness mentioned that after the boy fell, “when we rushed to the child, he could still cry out initially.” The guide pointed out that the boy was traveling with two family members and not in a tour group. The incident took place in a wild section of the Tiger Leaping Gorge that had previously been closed off to visitors for hiking.
Another witness conveyed that when rescue personnel carried the boy back up the mountain, he had lost consciousness, and his father was sitting by the roadside uncontrollably weeping. Officials from the emergency management bureau in Deqen Prefecture clarified that the incident did not occur within the Tiger Leaping Gorge scenic area but in a nearby area that was not open to the public.
Netizens expressed sadness, stating, “It’s heartbreaking,” “Parents should not bring children to such dangerous places for fun,” “Why take children to such places for amusement, I really can’t understand what these parents were thinking.”
During the Lunar New Year, mainland China has witnessed multiple incidents resulting in injuries and fatalities. On February 19th, a 10-year-old boy fell into a gap between a viewing platform and a rock wall at the Beishan Mountain Scenic Area in Pingnan, Guigang City, Guangxi, breaking his right shin bone. Luckily, he was rescued in time.