Dong Yuhui Photo: Screenshot from website

 
Recently, Internet influencer Dong Yuhui faced multiple complaints while filming the murals inside Yongle Palace in Yuncheng, North China's Shanxi province. Netizens pointed out that photography is prohibited inside Yongle Palace and questioned why Dong was allowed to film live inside the palace. Some visitors complained that the live streaming caused them to wait outside the temple for several hours. 

"After Dong came, we received a lot of complaints in the past two days, with more than a dozen complaints sent to us every day. His visit was supposed to play a good publicity role, but now it is really difficult for us to deal with it," said a staff member of Yongle Palace. 

Due to years of neglect, the murals in Yongle Palace have suffered from fading, dislocation, and cracks, with some surfaces already oxidized and blackened. The National Cultural Heritage Administration has emphasized that the protection and restoration of the Yongle Palace murals must adhere to the principle of "minimal intervention." 

In order to protect the murals in Yongle Palace, strict regulations are set for photographing and filming them. Many netizens believe that Dong's team's filming could harm the relics. 

The Shanxi Yongle Palace Mural Protection Institute later released a statement on their official website explaining the rationale behind allowing Dong's team to film. The statement clarified that for activities such as lectures, interviews, and live streaming, one can apply to the institute. Upon approval, photography and videography are permitted under the supervision of cultural relics protection personnel. 

When Dong entered Yongle Palace for the live stream, he was accompanied by professional personnel from the palace. 

Some netizens were still dissatisfied, "Oppose special privileges, no matter who he is. Dong's commercial filming should incur a cultural relics protection fee." 

Others countered, "If you had such a large following, you could film too. What special privilege? By doing this, Dong is promoting local culture." 

During the live stream, only Dong and a few team members entered the main hall. The visitors who had planned to tour were asked to wait outside. Consequently, some netizens complained about being left in the sun for three hours. 

The staff of Yongle Palace later denied this on social media, stating that the entire live stream lasted only two hours, with the filming inside the main hall taking just over an hour. "There are shaded areas outside the main hall, so the claim of being in the sun for three hours is inaccurate," they retorted.