A viral TikTok video capturing the overwhelming number of people at the Great Wall of China has shocked the internet.
With so many tourists “they can barely move”, the overcrowded wonder of the world was captured and shared by @vincentlivinginchina on the social media platform.
“It is so packed and crowded here that taking a few steps may take a few minutes,” the poster observed.
The clip, viewed over one million times, shows a sea of people slowly inching their way up a section of the wall.
User Chris on TikTok called it a “nightmare”, while another user Cristy commented “my anxiety.”
User Peggy Lavin Acres said: “Wow, I’d get claustrophobic! That’s insane! Why isn’t there wait times and limits on numbers of people?”
While another user SustainX added: “They should implement a cap on the number of people who go up the Great Wall.”
The Great Wall of China, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1987, is 13,171 miles long. Constructed between the 3rd century B.C. and the 17th century A.D, it stands as a testament to the country’s rich history and architectural prowess.
The surge in global tourism has turned such historical sites into congestion points, with Euromonitor International reporting that travel is set to hit record numbers this year, with global tourism spending predicted to reach $2 trillion.
The poster, @vincentlivinginchina explained: “Normally it’s not so crazy. It’s due to the summer holiday where primary and secondary school holiday just started.
“This is where all the tour buses will bring tourists to visit. Imagine 1000 tour buses arrived at almost the same time.”
The viral video highlights the challenges faced by many other iconic landmarks and hotspots, as they struggle to balance the economic benefits of tourism with the preservation cost of playing host.
Recently, videos of ‘traffic jams’ at the world’s highest peak, the Mt. Everest, stunned social media as locals raised concerns about the increasing land pollution and contamination of natural resources.