Chinese tourists escape death after falling off 1,500-meter-high mountain cliff

The footage, captured on May 4 during China's May Day holiday, has garnered 8 million views on Chinese social media so far.

In the video, filmed by another tourist, the pair, who were stuck in a queue of tourists, attempted to bypass the crowds by taking a shortcut down the cliffside.

However, as they tried to climb over an artificial wall to join the line ahead, the man slipped while carrying the woman on his shoulders to help her over the wall.

Both fell off the cliff.

The man got stuck on a rock platform while desperately holding onto the woman’s legs, the South China Morning Post reported.

The woman, whose head crashed against rocks and bushes as she fell, was saved by the man’s grip.

Witnesses reported that both suffered serious injuries. Despite this, they managed to get back on their feet and gingerly walked down a path to safety, The Sun reported.

Their behavior has sparked heated online discussions.

"They are so lucky; otherwise, they could have been dead," wrote one netizen.

Another wrote "they are too risky."

Another netizen praised the man: "He is a good partner, holding onto her legs in that life-or-death moment."

Following the incident, the tourist site pledged to better control the crowds to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Mount Tai stands 1,500 meters above sea level. It is one of the five sacred mountains of China and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Millions of tourists visit the mountain each year to enjoy its stunning natural landscape and historic constructions.

As one of China’s three longest holidays, the recent five-day holiday from May 1 to 5 attracted large crowds of visitors to domestic sites across the country.

According to published data, Mount Tai attracted 285,000 tourists during the first four days of the May Day holiday, a 0.5% increase from last year and a record high.