A man in Lengjiang, Central China's Hunan Province, is chanting while making dancing, rolling and meditating movements on a square half engulfed in water. Photo: Screenshot of a vedio posted by the Paper

A video titled 'Qigong master sends back floods in Lengjiang, Central China's Hunan Province', has been spreading on Chinese social media recently. 

In the video posted by the Paper, a man is seen chanting while making dancing, rolling and meditating movements on a square half engulfed in water to assuage the roaring floods, while some people carrying umbrellas stood by and watched. The man was believed to be practicing qigong, a Chinese breathing exercise that is sometimes described in martial arts novels as being able to physically control objects using an invisible power.

The video racked up millions of views and also sparked criticism, with many denouncing it as sensationalist and indecent, especially when people are fighting hard to tackle the floods, which have severely hit southern China.

"If this kind of superstition works, why do the soldiers have to work so hard to fight the flood on the front line?" a netizen asked.

Local police rejected the rumor on Monday after an investigation, and said it was just footage of local residents holding a fish release and blessing ceremony.