Tourist escapes death at Chinese theme park

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A tourist narrowly escaped death while crossing a high altitude footbridge earlier this week at Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park, an hour and a half drive from Chongqing, southwest China.

The incident occurred on Monday, the first day of China's National Day holiday week.

The video of the incident went viral, showing the man leaping across a walkway suspended in mid-air with gaping holes between each plank.

As the man makes the final jump, the rope securing him to an overhead frame breaks from his safety harness, just as he reaches the opposite podium.

After the incident, the authorities ordered the closure of the park.

The park is popular with adrenaline junkies and has the world's longest glass footbridge, 120 meters long and 300 meters high.

The park is known for having the world's longest glass bridge. /VCG Photo

The video was first posted on Douyin, a video-sharing platform in China.

The park's marketing department claimed the video aimed at attracting the public's attention. /CGTN Video

The park authorities confirmed the video was shot at the park. In an interview by Pear Video, the marketing department claimed that the video was produced to attract public attention on social media.

In reality, such an incident will not occur, a staff member said in the interview.

An investigation, however, found that a staff member at the park did not fasten the safety cord properly.

The park is also known for adrenaline junkies. /VCG Photo

Is the video a marketing tactic by the park? It raised doubts, triggering a heated discussion on social media.

"If it really is marketing strategy, then I will definitely not go to that park. It means the footbridge is too risky and dangerous," said @Xingyundeluren.

"If the accident really happened, no one would say it was a strategy," commented @Aguilar.

You Ling, deputy director of the Tourism Development Commission at the park, said that several staff members at the park might face a fine of 10,000 yuan (around 1500 US dollars) if found guilty of negligence.