An internet-famous bridge in Beijing has been shut down after it attracted fitness enthusiasts, sports bloggers and even professional athletes to challenge themselves to freehand climbing and became an internet sensation, with videos of the feat attracting more than 5 billion views online. Photo: Sina Weibo

An internet-famous bridge in Beijing has been shut down after it attracted fitness enthusiasts, sports bloggers and even professional athletes to challenge themselves to freehand climbing and became an internet sensation, with videos of the feat attracting more than 5 billion views online. 

The bridge, a pedestrian bridge over the moat in Beijing, has attracted wide attention since 2023 when bloggers challenged it to climb it with their bare hands. The bloggers often jump onto the guardrail of the moat below the bridge and climb from one end of the bridge to the other, using their arms and fingers to grasp the concrete gap.

There have even been new challenges, including the "ring challenge," in which more than 10 rings are hung from the guardrail of a 40-meter-long pedestrian bridge. The challengers grab the rings one by one from one side of the bridge and use their body swings to move to the other side.

These challenges are not only extremely dangerous but also highlight the gaps in city management, with local authorities immediately repairing the bridge and saying they would step up inspections in the area.

"Although the 'freehand climbing' brings a novel experience, the safety problems caused by it should be taken seriously and resolved," said a blogger who has been involved in the campaign.