On May 30th, sudden strong winds and heavy rain hit Beijing. In the Forbidden City Museum in Beijing, roof tiles unexpectedly fell from the Kun Ning Palace; outside the CCTV building of the Chinese Communist Party, a group of high-altitude workers, known as “spidermen,” could only sway in the air.
The sky in Beijing turned dark in the afternoon of the 30th, accompanied by strong winds and pouring rain, with the maximum wind reaching level 12 (a speed of up to 132 kilometers per hour). Many old trees were uprooted, and people were blown to the ground. Local netizens described it as “too scary, this sudden storm.” (Previously reported: Beijing sudden dark sky, strong winds and rain, trees uprooted)
According to a report from Guizhou Broadcasting and Television’s program “People’s Concern” on the 30th, a visitor sheltering from the rain near the Kun Ning Palace inside the Forbidden City Museum happened to witness roof tiles falling.
Witnesses stated that the tiles suddenly fell, causing the visitors to evacuate, with no injuries reported on the scene.
A viral video showed heavy rain pouring from the sky while multiple tiles fell, causing visitors to scream and shout in fear. The tiles shattered upon impact with the ground. Many visitors sought refuge from the storm under the museum’s archways.
An eyewitness who was at the scene revealed in online comments, “I picked up a piece that was said to be over 600 years old, but the staff said it had been renovated several times and is not 600 years old.”
Another netizen commented, “Is this a bad omen? For thousands of years, it has never fallen due to weather, but after repairs, it appears fragile and vulnerable, indicating poor craftsmanship.” “Does anyone think this is a celestial warning, possibly indicating a major event akin to the falling meteorites years ago?”
The “falling meteorites” mentioned by netizens refer to the meteorite shower in 1976, following which the top three leaders of the Chinese Communist Party – Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De – passed away. That year also saw the devastating Tangshan earthquake.
On the same day, May 30th, at the glass curtain wall of the CCTV headquarters known as the “big boxer,” more than ten workers were cleaning the building.
A circulated video showed these “spidermen” suspended by cables working at high altitudes, being blown continuously by the wind and appearing in a dangerous situation.
According to the Beijing Daily, witnesses reported that around 3 p.m. on the 30th, the sunny weather suddenly turned dark; these ten-plus “spidermen” hanging on ropes were swaying back and forth due to the strong wind.
Workers who came out of the building stated that they saw a perilous scene from inside and believed that the company involved should have designated personnel to monitor weather conditions, as such windy weather posed great danger.
A cleaner in the area mentioned that these “spidermen” had been cleaning the glass for a week, typically starting their work around seven or eight in the morning, taking a break for lunch, and continuing in the afternoon until around 5 p.m. Keeping busy in the high altitude all day long.