Chinese actor faces backlash for video dancing on Great Wall of China

Yin Xiaotian reportedly entered the site as a tourist, without specifying he intended to shoot a music video

Representational: According to a staffer, the actor did not take permission to shoot a video on the Wall (Getty Images)

A Chinese actor has faced severe backlash on social media after footage of him shooting a video dancing on the Great Wall went viral on the country’s social media platforms.

Yin Xiaotian, a 43-year-old actor who has worked in numerous television shows, apologised for his “misguided behaviour” soon after.

Mr Yin had gone to the Great Wall of China to shoot a music video with a team of four people, including a cameraman.

The actor, however, entered the site as a tourist and did not say he planned to shoot a music video, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP), quoting a manager of a section of the Great Wall.

Some footage captured by other tourists of Mr Yin dancing on the site went viral on Chinese social media platforms, triggering outrage against him for disrespecting the world heritage site.

The footage showed him dancing with four men standing on a section of the Wall in Hebei province’s Chengde city on Friday, reported (SCMP), quoting 163.com.

Several users on social media platform Weibo attacked Mr Yin and demanded an apology. “It’s a melancholy area, the Great Wall,” one Weibo user wrote, “It’s not appropriate to dance to hip hop since it’s not appropriate for the ambience (sic).”

“He does not show any respect for the Great Wall. Even a small kid knows we should protect ancient heritage, but Yin Xiaotian went further by standing on the top of its verge,” said another user.

After the outrage, Mr Yin took to social media to apologise to his 6.7 million followers on Weibo, saying his actions set a “wrong example” to the public.

“Please don’t copy my misguided behaviour. We should all obey management rules and pay attention to safety,” he wrote.

The world heritage site is one of the most popular tourist areas in the world, with millions visiting it every year. There are strict rules in place to not damage the site in any way, including scribbling on the wall, driving vehicles and pulling out bricks or soil.