Recent incidents of people committing suicide by jumping off bridges in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province and Mianyang, Sichuan Province have once again attracted wide attention. Some netizens questioned whether local governments have learned from similar incidents last year and still lack effective mechanisms to deal with the psychological distress and heavy debt pressure faced by the public. Interviewees pointed out that high levels of online loans, car loans, and housing loans have become critical factors crushing the lower-income groups.
On June 19, videos and reports on overseas social media platforms indicated a series of bridge-jumping incidents in Taiyuan. On June 16, someone jumped off the Shengli Bridge into the river, and on June 18, another incident occurred at the Yingze Bridge. At the scene, rescue vehicles and personnel from the Taiyuan Fire Department could be seen, with firefighters in orange dinghies searching for the drowned individuals.
Videos showed multiple rescue vehicles on the bridge with crowds of onlookers gathered around. Some netizens expressed sadness, recalling the 16 incidents within 24 days in Taiyuan last May, questioning if it was starting again this year. One netizen even shared that they had considered suicide but refrained due to being “too close to the government.”
Since early June this year, a Douyin user named “Jack Wanders the World” reported three bridge-jumping incidents at the Rainbow Bridge in Taiyuan within the first three days of June. Despite local efforts to install guardrails at locations like the Rainbow Bridge and Luogu Bridge, tragedies continued to occur. In the comments section, a netizen revealed that a 42-year-old man who jumped off a bridge owed over 400,000 yuan in online loans and nearly 100,000 yuan in credit card debts. Others suggested heightening protective measures and urged relevant departments to provide mental health assistance.
On June 10, a local Taiyuan account mentioned that bridge-jumping incidents had resumed. After a peak period in May last year, authorities had stationed police officers every 50 steps on the bridge for oversight.
Journalists attempted to contact the Taiyuan Public Security Bureau but were unable to reach them.
Apart from Taiyuan, similar incidents have been reported in Sichuan as well. On June 21, someone jumped off the No.1 Bridge in Jialing District, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province. According to online comments, the deceased had an argument with his spouse in a car before jumping off the bridge and dying on the spot.
On June 20, a man in Jiangyou City, Mianyang, Sichuan, jumped off a bridge into the river and was found dead. Videos circulating online showed the body lying next to a rubber dinghy, with temporary tents set up on the shore as police conducted investigations.
Looking back to May last year, around 20 bridge-jumping incidents occurred in Taiyuan, Guangzhou, Guangdong, and Luoyang, Henan. Taiyuan alone witnessed 12 bridge jumps within two weeks. However, these numbers were based on unofficial statistics on social media platforms, and journalists have yet to independently verify them.
In May 2024, two young women jumped off a bridge in Luoyang, Henan, in front of shocked onlookers, sparking strong online discussions.
Taiyuan currently features 15 bridges spanning the Fen River. According to online statistics, there were 12 bridge-jumping incidents between May 10 and 22 in 2024, with another case occurring on the 24th. The frequency of these incidents highlights a lack of support in the local social system.
Mr. Feng, a rights advocate from Chengdu, Sichuan, stated in a recent interview with media that he witnessed similar incidents swiftly being removed from various online platforms: “Many were deleted. I saw it on Douyin and Xiaohongshu as well, people jumping off because they couldn’t afford their mortgages. It’s a pity, mainly young people, including students and middle-aged individuals. Wasn’t Taiyuan supposed to have safety nets on its bridges? But they still couldn’t stop it.”
Addressing the frequent suicide incidents, an unnamed scholar from Shanxi pointed out that the substantial economic pressure, structural inequalities in society, and the reckless lending behavior of financial technology companies in China are the underlying causes of these tragedies.
“These people are clearly in despair. Online loans, car loans, and bank loans in China have penetrated into every aspect of people’s lives. From dining, commuting, working to consuming news and accessing paid platforms, almost every app offers you loans with exceptionally high interest rates,” he said. This ubiquitous consumer finance model often traps naive young people in financial dead ends.
He further highlighted that some internet companies had obtained financial licenses illegally and engaged in usurious lending practices, evading regulation. “These companies engage in banking activities after acquiring financial licenses, but the supervision is extremely lax. They make huge profits, but victims have no means to appeal. Many fail to repay their debts and ultimately choose to end their lives. It’s a tragedy for society.”
As of the time of writing, the Taiyuan municipal government had not issued a public statement regarding the recent bridge-jumping incidents.