A disrespectful visitor has attracted outrage on mainland social media for dipping her bare feet in the lake at a world-famous historical tourist site in Beijing.
Viral video footage from April 7 at the Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan Park, shows a female visitor perched on the side of a small wooden boat and dangling her feet in the water, the news website china.com.cn reported.
Her shoes and socks were left near a seat she had been sitting on in the boat, the report said.
An employee asks her not to dip her feet in the lake, telling her: “It is dangerous and disrespectful to history.”
The young woman ignores his advice and says: “I am a minor. I am only 16. I am rich second generation and I just like doing this.”
The employee told her that putting her feet in the water was not allowed and that he would be punished if there was an accident, to which the girl replies: “It is you, not me, who will receive punishment. It’s not my concern.”
Another tourist, surnamed Yang, who witnessed the exchange, said the woman was emotional when arguing with the member of staff.
“She threatened to jump into the water if we did not allow her to continue dangling her feet,” said Yang.
“She acknowledged she is not civilised and even encouraged us to report her behaviour to the police,” Yang added.
Some minutes later, the woman withdrew her feet from the water and returned to her seat.
An official from Yuanmingyuan Park said that because they are not a law enforcement authority, they can only advise visitors not to engage in unacceptable, anti-social behaviour but cannot punish them.
Yuanmingyuan Park is a complex of gardens and palace ruins in northern Beijing.
It was once one of the most spectacular royal gardens in China before being destroyed in a massive fire caused by invading British and French troops in 1860.
To the people of China, the site is not only a tourist attraction, but an important part of the country’s history.
Inappropriate behaviour by tourists in and from China has become frequent in recent years.
In early April, six people were banned for life from a giant panda base in southwestern Sichuan province after spitting and throwing steamed buns and cigarette butts at the animals.
In March, a visitor from China touring the British Museum in London, was called “disgusting” by mainland Internet users after swapping a souvenir flask for a used water bottle. – South China Morning Post