A Chinese man was caught dangling his son over the edge of a mountain for a perfect photograph even as the horrifying sight left many passersby shocked. The incident occurred at the steep winding mountain path of Hongjing Road in Beijing.
Known as 'Devil's Road' because of its 18 tight hairpin turns, the entire stretch (11.76 mile) of the Hongjing Road was converted into a tourist spot in 2009. Besides a pedestrian walkway, the tourist spot also features an observation deck at its highest point.
Boy Seen Trembling in The Video
The viral clip, which has drawn sharp criticism from online users, was captured by another tourist at the spot. In the clip, the unidentified Chinese man can be seen holding his son's hands, as the little boy balances his body by placing his feet against the wall.
As the boy dangles in the air from the edge of the mountain with a steep drop below him, another family member is seen clicking photographs using a handheld device, probably a mobile handset.
When the person recording the incident, zooms in on the terrifying site, the man holding the child appears to be shaking the boy's hands violently as the little one looks around. The other family members are seen laughing at the incident, but no one intervenes. At one point in the video, an onlooker is heard shouting, "Look, look! The kid's hands are shaking!"
Clip Sparks Online Fury in China
The Sun reported that the viral clip has garnered over 13 million views since it was uploaded. The video was posted on Weibo, a microblogging site similar to Twitter in China.
Though it was unclear whether the man has been identified or charged by the authorities, it definitely angered several Chinese citizens, reported the Daily Mail. Questioning his parenting skills, a user commented: "He doesn't deserve to be a father! I feel so sorry for the child to have parents like this."
"Oh my god, taking your child's life as a joke just for some photos! A bunch of stupid and thoughtless idiots!" wrote another user on the micro-blogging site.
