XPost: uk.rec.climbing, sac.politics, soc.culture.china
XPost: rec.photo.digital
A famous Chinese "rooftopping" enthusiast unwittingly filmed his
own death after he fell from a 62-story skyscraper during one of
his trademark daredevil stunts.
Wu Yongning, 26, was performing pull-ups at the summit of the
Huayuan Hua Center, one of the tallest buildings in Changsha,
central China, when he lost his grip and fell.
The incident was captured on a camera that Wu had carefully
placed on another part of the building to record himself.
Wu had amassed thousands of followers on Weibo, a popular
Chinese social media site, after posting dramatic short videos
showing himself perched atop tall buildings without the use of
safety equipment. The challenge he was participating in at the
time of his death came with $15,000 in prize money, according to
the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, although the paper did not provide
further details on the identity of the sponsor or the nature of
the competition.
Wu died on November 8, but his death was only confirmed in a
social media post by his girlfriend, Jin Jin, a month later,
after fans became concerned that no videos had been posted to
his channel for a month.
Local police investigating the case described it as an accident
and have ruled out foul play.
Last Friday, Jin Jin wrote online: “Today is December 8th. It
makes me think of November 8th, the day you left us and left
this world."
Jin Jin told The Beijing News that Wu was due to ask her
parents' permission to marry her two days after the stunt. His
step-uncle corroborated, telling the South China Morning Post,
"He planned to propose to his girlfriend [the day after the
challenge]. He needed the money for the wedding, and for medical
treatment for his ailing mother."
Wu was famous for fearlessly scaling high-rise buildings without
any safety equipment, relying only on his “martial arts training
and careful planning,” according to one of his Weibo posts. More
than 300 videos of him tiptoeing along skyscraper ledges or
doing pull-ups as he hung from the sides of tall buildings have
been widely shared by his fans.
Rooftopping, or "buildering," is the practice of accessing
rooftops to take skyline photography or perform stunts. The
performer often live-streams the footage or posts it to social
media. The trend has spiked in popularity all across the world
in recent years, despite safety concerns; many climbers insist
that the use of safety equipment detracts from the experience.
http://www.newsweek.com/chinese-rooftopper-films-own-death-744094
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