Fitness Influencer Under Fire for Pull-ups on 1,500-Year-Old Temple Beam
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A Chinese fitness influencer known online as Dongdong Xia Mowan (東東小魔王) has faced severe public criticism after uploading a video showing him performing pull-ups on ancient wooden beams at Xuankong Temple in Shanxi Province. The incident occurred on the morning of September 27, 2026, at the Main Hall of the UNESCO-associated heritage site, which dates back over 1,500 years to the Northern Wei Dynasty. The video, which captured the influencer completing five consecutive pull-ups on the centuries-old wooden structure, drew immediate backlash from netizens who condemned the act as selfish and disrespectful to cultural heritage. After the controversy erupted, the influencer deleted the video, but not before it had been widely shared and criticized across social media platforms.
Key Points
- The influencer jumped up and grabbed a wooden beam of the Main Hall's outer corridor at Xuankong Temple, completing five pull-ups while remarking "there is dust up there"
- Xuankong Temple, located in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty and is over 1,500 years old
- The scenic area confirmed on October 13, 2026 that the incident occurred on September 27, 2026, and has referred the case to police for investigation
- Legal experts stated that the wooden beams are protected cultural relics under Chinese law, and such behavior could constitute a violation of the Cultural Relics Protection Law
- If found guilty of causing damage, the perpetrator could face warnings, fines, administrative detention, or even criminal liability including compensation for restoration costs
Why It Matters
The incident highlights growing concerns about the protection of China's ancient cultural heritage sites against increasingly creative forms of vandalism driven by social media attention-seeking. As heritage authorities investigate, the case underscores the need for stronger public awareness about respecting historical monuments, with potential legal consequences serving as a deterrent against similar reckless behavior at cultural sites across the country .
The incident highlights growing concerns about the protection of China's ancient cultural heritage sites against increasingly creative forms of vandalism driven by social media attention-seeking. As heritage authorities investigate, the case underscores the need for stronger public awareness about respecting historical monuments, with potential legal consequences serving as a deterrent against similar reckless behavior at cultural sites across the country .