Police probes man for doing pull-ups on beam at 1,500-y-o historic Hanging Temple in North China’s Shanxi

A video of a man doing pull-ups on a beam at the 1,500-year-old Xuankong Temple, or Hanging Temple, in Datong, North China’s Shanxi Province, has gone viral recently, sparking public concerns about potential damage to the historic structure, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday.

The Hengshan Mountain Scenic Spot Management Center responded on Tuesday that the public security authorities have launched an investigation.

According to a statement released by the management center, surveillance footage confirmed that the incident occurred on September 27 at the Mahavira Hall of the Hanging Temple. The individual involved uploaded the video to social media on October 11, triggering widespread public attention the next day.

Upon learning of the incident, ancient architecture and heritage conservation experts were dispatched to conduct an on-site inspection.

A professional inspection confirmed that the behavior had not caused any visible direct physical damage to the heritage structure at this stage. However, given that the temple is a cliff side structure built entirely of wood, with its beams, crossbeams and columns interlocked through traditional mortise-and-tenon structure to distribute loads, such hanging and pulling activities pose a potential risk of disturbing the structural balance of the wooden framework, creating a serious safety hazard, the statement said.

First built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), the Hanging Temple is a nationally protected cultural heritage site and a rare cliff side wooden complex that house Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian shrines.

Featuring an ingenious architectural design, the temple relies on crossbeams embedded in the cliff for structural support. Any abnormal force on its load-bearing components could disrupt its centuries-old structural balance and cause irreversible damage, the statement said.

Therefore, stepping on, pulling, shaking or climbing on the temple’s structural components is strictly prohibited, as doing so violates both the scenic area management rules and legal protections for cultural heritage, the statement added.

After the video sparked controversy, the police formally opened an investigation and said they will deal with the individual in accordance with the law, the statement said.

Next, the scenic area will step up patrols in key areas, install more warning signs and strengthen on-site visitor management to better protect the cultural heritage site, according to the statement.