The authorities of central China took radical measures, destroying the “attraction” popular with tourists chasing spectacular pictures, the “Stone of Shibaigol”. The unique tourist object was liquidated for security reasons.
According to the Malay Mail portal, it is about a stunningly beautiful rock outcrop, popularly known as the “Shibaigol’s Stone” and “The Rock of the Test of Courage”. Experienced travelers compared it with the famous Norwegian rock picture “Troll’s Tongue”. Such an obvious name as “hangman’s stone” suggests that you need to be a real hangman to risk your life for an unforgettable photo. And to the great dismay of the authorities, slobber heads in the form of crowds of enthusiastic tourists have appeared in the suburban area of Anyang in Henan Province for many years. The hiking route to the rock is easy to find on the Internet, and photos and videos of people posing on it are widely shared on social networks.
Although the rock was never a major attraction in the area, people continued to risk their lives for spectacular photos. Some even danced on it, others posed with their dogs. Those who wanted to go to the performance, but were afraid, bent to the ground and crawled to the edge on their stomachs. The authorities stubbornly ignored the popularity of the new tourist zone and refused to equip the place with fences.
The fight against the influx of tourists from lovers of extreme and thrills did not start yesterday. Last year, the local government put up a sign in the dangerous area warning visitors to stay away because cracks had appeared in the stone. But this measure did not have the expected effect. Then, on April 11, the authorities delivered special equipment for its dismantling. The falling into the abyss of the legendary stone was filmed by indifferent tourists, and then numerous videos of the “requiem for the landmark” were published on the network.
The radical step of the officials caused indignation in international circles: on the territory of the network, tourists were assured that there was no need for demolition. “Instead of tearing it down, they could reinforce it with steel to keep visitors safe,” said one TikTok user.
However, some agreed with the decisive step. “Guys, the stone was breaking, it was only a matter of time before it cracked and someone died,” “It’s limestone, it will definitely crack and weaken over time,” they said.