Tourist slides down Great Wall of China in icy conditions

Crowd laughs as visitor uses landmark as giant slide

A tourist was caught on film using the Great Wall of China as a giant slide.

Conditions on parts of the wall, which collectively stretches nearly 22,000km, are currently snowy and icy.

Footage shared online showed visitors struggling to climb up steep sections and having to pull themselves up by using railings at the sides.  

However, one tourist in a purple coat had clearly had their fill of attempting to walk up the slippery path; instead, they turned around and sat down, using the icy incline to slide to the bottom.

Onlookers can be heard whooping and laughing at the stunt.

Another young man can be seen doing a controlled slide down the wall while still on his feet.

According to the South China Morning Post, staff at the Great Wall cannot use chemicals to melt the snow as it is classified as a cultural relic.

While some online viewers thought sliding down looked “fun”, others raised safety concerns, wondering whether the attraction should be shut down during such weather conditions.

Earlier this year, two men were caught stealing “lucky bricks” from the Great Wall.  

The pair, aged 20 and 26, called for help after getting lost on their way to a specific section north of Beijing.

Rescuers found them on a snow-covered mountain four hours later, according to local media.

The men initially claimed they were carrying a plastic bag to pick up litter in the area.

However, police discovered they had boasted about stealing some of the bricks to bring them luck while in a local restaurant.

China has passed legislation to protect the wall, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, after large sections of it were previously bulldozed and pillaged for building material.