Someone livestreamed sales, Tianjin Lion Grove Bridge has become a popular attraction on the internet: more young people are diving | Diving | Lin Bridge
▲ The diver jumped off the Lion Grove Bridge
"I'm not Tianjin Grandpa, I'm Tianjin Uncle." Because before diving, he performed an impromptu "xiangsheng" and was captured by netizens and posted on a short video platform, 52 year old Tianjin citizen "Xiaomeizi" suddenly became a "internet celebrity".
But these days, "Little Plum" dare not go diving at the Lion Forest Bridge in Tianjin on time as usual, even though it has been his hobby for more than 20 years. The Lion Forest Bridge is now crowded with people from morning till night to see the "Tianjin Diving Master". Some young people even imitate the Tianjin diving masters to jump off the Lion Forest Bridge in order to clock in, and most of them have no diving experience before.
From August 31st to September 1st, Red Star News reporters saw at the Lion Forest Bridge in Tianjin that the number of young people diving for "check-in" far exceeded the number of local "masters" who come here to play all year round. This seems to have made the real "Tianjin diving masters" a "scarce resource". Every time an elderly person steps onto the bridge, they will welcome a burst of cheers.
"Diving is not a joke. It's easy to get into trouble without experience when filmed at a height of 6 meters." On the afternoon of September 1st, "Little Plum" once again stood on the guardrail of the Lion Forest Bridge, but this time "Little Plum" did not dive. He said to the people around him, "Everyone comes to Tianjin to play, we welcome everyone, but we must pay attention to safety. Don't try diving easily without experience, safety comes first."
On the afternoon of September 1st, "Little Plum" walked onto the Lion Grove Bridge and called on everyone to pay attention to safety
In recent days, local urban management, traffic police, and street volunteers have begun to appear at the bridgehead of Shizilin Bridge. "The depth of the Haihe River is still quite dangerous, and we will do some reminder work. In addition, there are rescue forces on duty nearby to ensure that personnel are in place in case of danger." On September 1st, a staff member of the Guangfudao Street Office in Hebei District, Tianjin told Red Star News reporters.
Professor Zhu Lijia from the Central Party School said that although becoming a "popular tourist attraction" can attract more tourists, diving is not a suitable activity for everyone. If there are safety hazards, management departments need to intervene. However, how to manage and what are the standards for management require detailed research and consideration, which also greatly tests management wisdom.
Tianjin Shizilin Bridge Becomes a Popular Tourist Attraction:
There are more young people diving than old men
Someone came to the live broadcast to promote sales
Tianjin diving masters have to face this sudden change.
"I have been diving here for over 10 years." Due to his long beard, 60 year old Master Lin has always called himself the "Earl of Beard". "There have been people diving here for decades, but in the past two weeks, there have been more and more people watching, and I don't know why."
Crowds of people watching diving by the Haihe River
Shizilin Bridge has recently become popular on social media platforms, attracting many netizens to come and check in. It has also received an additional account ban and is referred to as an "8A level scenic spot" by netizens. Even some divers have said so in their videos.
The official account of the Internet Information Office of the Hebei District Committee of Tianjin, "Tianjin Color Hebei", mentioned in an article introducing the Shizilin Bridge in 2020 that the Shizilin Bridge was built in 1954, across the Haihe River. On one side is Hongqiao District, and on the other side is Hebei District. After several transformations, the current Shizilin Bridge is nearly 100 meters long and 40 meters wide. In addition, there are 1181 lions and lions on the whole bridge. "Children who once ran on the bridge to count lions are now parents, leading their children to count lions on the new bridge again."
The Shizilin Bridge has a total of three bridge openings, with the largest one in the middle, which is also the main waterway. Cruise ships in the Haihe River pass through the middle bridge opening, while divers are concentrated in the bridge opening on the east side of the bridge. There are guardrails on both sides of the bridge, and if you want to jump, you need to flip over the guardrails on the bridge. Although the words "No Crossing, Be Careful of Electric Shock" were written on the guardrail, this did not stop the enthusiasm of most divers.
However, in the past two weeks, most of the people who have come to Lion Forest Bridge for diving are young people, while the "Tianjin Diving Masters" have only occasionally appeared. "Actually, most of us used to come after 3pm. It's not too hot in summer and not too cold in winter. After playing for a while, we just happened to go home for dinner," said the Earl Beard.
As a member of the "Tianjin Diving Master", the "Beard Count" was photographed by onlookers
On August 31st, a Red Star News reporter saw on the east side of Shizilin Bridge that since noon, there has been a continuous stream of people diving here, but most of them are young people.
"We were friends in high school and haven't seen each other for over half a year. Recently, I saw online that the" Diving Master "at Shizilin Bridge was popular. We mentioned in our WeChat group that we would come and dive together, and we all came together today. Mr. Zhang from Tianjin and his childhood friend made an appointment to dive on August 31st.". They have passed by the Lion Grove Bridge countless times and always see people diving from the bridge. After the explosion of the Lion Forest Bridge, Mr. Zhang began to want a sense of participation and experience. He didn't know why the diving on the Lion Grove Bridge became popular, but he wanted to personally experience it.
In order to record the scheduled diving, Mr. Zhang even brought a 360 degree panoramic camera with him, "It's just for fun."
On the 31st, although it was a working day, at around 1 pm, the shore on the east side of Shizilin Bridge and the pedestrian walkway on the bridge were still filled with onlookers.
But not all of these people are watching the excitement. Someone is livestreaming sales. "Everyone, this wine is from our local Tianjin real estate. Friends who watch the live broadcast should remember to place an order, and after placing an order, we will live stream Tianjin Grandpa diving for you."
Someone even brought an alpaca. "Everyone can scan the QR code in my hand and add our company WeChat account to take a free photo with the alpaca," said the person holding the alpaca.
Someone led the alpaca to the bridgehead of the Lion Grove to "suck powder"
Some people even ask divers to grab their promotional ads and jump off the bridge. "When you go up the bridge, remember to open the billboard so that our photographer can take pictures of you," said the person who arranged this "business".
A local short video blogger from Tianjin, who has millions of fans, also came to shoot. After being recognized by onlookers diving, he was occasionally invited to take a group photo.
"Look over there, everyone with the phone film has arrived." "Earl Beard" pointed to the Red Star News reporter.
The "6-meter Challenge" for Young People:
Russian female international student hesitates for more than ten minutes and jumps off
Grandpa repeatedly tried to dissuade but was unsuccessful, and there were also people trying to coax him
On August 31st, the day before the start of junior high schools in Tianjin, Xiaopeng and several classmates also came to the Lion Forest Bridge to dive in the afternoon. "School starts tomorrow, let's take this opportunity to experience it."
Xiao Peng told Red Star News reporters that they had no experience diving from the Lion Grove Bridge before, but perhaps due to their young age and courage, they all jumped off the Lion Grove Bridge one after another. "Once when he jumped down, he was hit in the face by water and turned red," Xiao Peng explained to the reporter about the red marks around his eyes.
The height of the Lion Grove Bridge deck above the water surface is the biggest challenge for those who want to check in. According to the article on the WeChat official account of the Hebei District Office of Network Information Technology, in August 2003, in the comprehensive development and reconstruction of Haihe River, the old bridge height could not meet the navigation requirements of Haihe River, so the overall lifting and reconstruction was carried out. The height of the Shizilin Bridge deck from the water surface has also reached about 6 meters.
In addition to locals who come to dive and watch the excitement, there are also people who come from other places, hoping to use diving as a way to "check in" at the Lion Grove Bridge.
"Hey, here comes a foreigner." "Foreigners also love to play with this." "Jump, jump, don't be afraid to jump." Amidst the cheers of people, the foreign girl Luo crossed the guardrail of the bridge. After climbing over the guardrail, Luo became the focus of attention, but 10 minutes later, she still didn't jump into the water. Luo clenched her fists with both hands, her thighs trembling incessantly, and she occasionally turned back to seek encouragement from her friends.
Grandpa Sun is dissuading inexperienced Russian female student Luo from diving
Luo said that she comes from Russia and is currently communicating at a university in Tianjin. After seeing a video of the Tianjin Lion Forest Bridge diving master online, she decided to try it out herself and even changed into a swimsuit in advance for diving. When she climbed over the guardrail and looked under the bridge, she found that the height she had not anticipated before.
"Get down! Don't jump!" Master Sun appeared under the bridge at this moment. "Don't let her jump until she jumps. What if something happens? Are you responsible?"
Master Sun's voice was loud, and the bridge seemed to suddenly regain its tranquility. Some people's emotions temporarily cooled down.
"This bridge is 6 meters high, and inexperienced jumping can really hurt people. Do you think you're joking?" Master Sun's tone increased.
However, Master Sun's dissuasion ultimately proved ineffective. Luo jumped into the water amidst the resounding cries, but there were cheers coming from around. Watching Luo float out of the water and slowly swim back to the shore, Master Sun left with some helplessness.
"I had already played this morning and was resting under a tree in the distance. When I saw someone cheering and the girl hadn't jumped for such a long time, I knew she must be a beginner in diving. She didn't jump so high, but as soon as she got up, she was prone to impulsiveness. If she couldn't jump well, she could easily cause trouble," said Master Sun. Just last weekend, he also rescued a young man from under the Lion Grove Bridge who was knocked unconscious by the water due to diving. "I dare not have any accidents. Once something happens, I may not allow diving and swimming."
Before becoming the "Tianjin Diving Master":
Some people are train drivers and hospital professors
Some people have never worked seriously in their lifetime
Will diving not be allowed after the Lion Grove Bridge? This has become the most discussed topic among Master Sun and other old colleagues in recent days.
The increasing number of on duty traffic police officers at the bridgehead intersection, the frequent shuttling of urban management personnel in the crowd, and the repeated playing of the horn "Haihe River is dangerous, please do not crowd" all made them feel a bit of a "tense" atmosphere.
▲ The bridge head of Shizilin Bridge plays a circular horn to dissuade everyone from diving
"Since there was the Haihe River, people have been diving and swimming here. As long as the river does not freeze, there will be people jumping and swimming," Sun told Red Star News. Although this statement is a joke, it also indicates that this activity has a history of many years.
After making several turns, the Haihe River passes through the city of Tianjin. There are more than 30 bridges spanning the Haihe River in Tianjin. Why did Shizilin Bridge become a gathering place for "Tianjin Diving Master"?
"The open space on the east side of the Lion Grove Bridge has a particularly good orientation. In winter, the sunlight is abundant and warm, and in summer, it is cool under the bridge. In addition, the height of the bridge is also suitable for 'experienced' divers." "Earl Beard" analyzed to Red Star News reporters.
The Earl of the Beard is not willing to mention his past experiences. "I have never had a formal job in my life and have been doing odd jobs. Now, I just want to be happy every day."
The Earl of Beard said that most of the local elderly people who used to come to Lion Grove Bridge to dive every day were spontaneous, and some even rode electric bikes for over half an hour. "Most of them have retired and are over 60 years old, but they don't have much organization, and most people don't dare to organize. If something goes wrong, no one is responsible. It can be said that there are all kinds of people with different backgrounds."
Mr. Sun, who dissuaded Luo from diving, is 62 years old and worked as a train driver before retiring. "I am a local from Tianjin. I used to come swimming when I was working, but now that I have retired, I have more time. Every day, I come over to play for two hours. After swimming, I jump in the water and sit by the river for another half hour to chat."
Xiao Meizi has not retired yet. He is only 52 years old this year and works in a nursing home. He only comes to diving after work.
Professor Li, who is 65 years old, is also a native of Tianjin. Before retiring, he was a professor in a hospital, so he became the nickname given to him by his old friends. "I have been playing here since I was young, and now that I am old, I dare not do many movements anymore, but I must dance 20 times a day." On the afternoon of September 1st, "Professor Li" told Red Star News reporters that his phone does not have short video apps, and I don't know why it has become popular here. "It doesn't matter how many people there are, I'll dance on my own."
Professor Li, who is preparing to dive again, walks in the crowd
In addition to the "masters", some aunties also appear in the diving team at the head of the Lion Grove Bridge. "I have been diving here for two years. I used to swim in the swimming pool before, but I have encountered two cases where the swimming pool closed down and the money I saved couldn't be returned. I was afraid of being deceived again, so I came here." 65 year old Aunt Zhao said that she was a member of the swimming team when she was young and had good swimming skills. Later, she worked in a company near Tianjin Station.
When it comes to why she likes to come to the Lion Grove Bridge for diving every day, Aunt Zhao's answer is, "When I jump down, it feels quite exciting."
The management department responsible for tense response:
We have increased our efforts to persuade them
Provide timely assistance in case of danger
Not far east along the Lion Grove Bridge, there is a coffee shop with a message book on its table. "Come to Tianjin to see my uncle and aunt diving, a happy city. I hope to have the opportunity to come again in the future," the last page reads.
On the internet, some people believe that the "Tianjin Diving Master" has been imitated by onlookers, obstructing nearby traffic and posing safety hazards. However, more people say that after watching videos of the "Tianjin Diving Master" and others, they feel encouraged and happy. Some even joke that the recent Lion Forest Bridge has become an "8A level scenic spot".
"Can we make Tianjin Shizilin Bridge diving and become as popular as Zibo barbecue in the past?" said a netizen.
The area on the east side of Shizilin Bridge belongs to Guangfudao Street, Hebei District, Tianjin City. On September 1st, a staff member of the street office told Red Star News reporters that diving poses a great danger, and the street office definitely does not encourage diving on bridges. "Especially for those who come from outside and have no diving experience, we will make some dissuasion."
A staff member from the Guangfudao Police Station of the Hebei Branch of Tianjin Public Security Bureau also stated that the depth of the bottom of the Haihe River varies, and non local tourists are not encouraged to dive. Staff from public security organs, comprehensive law enforcement, street offices, and other units have now increased their efforts to persuade. "In addition, there will be professional rescue personnel on the nearby water surface to ensure timely handling in case of emergencies."
On August 31st and September 1st, Red Star News reporters also made multiple phone calls to the Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, hoping to learn about the department's response to the rise of "Tianjin Diving Master", but no one answered.
Expert opinions:
How to deal with the emerging "Internet celebrity check-in points"
Very challenging management wisdom
On September 1st, Fu Jian, the director of Henan Zejin Law Firm, told Red Star News reporters that local government management departments have an obligation to ensure the safety of public places and take necessary measures to prevent accidents. If the government management department fails to take appropriate measures to prevent people from diving in dangerous places, resulting in accidents, it may bear certain legal responsibilities.
"For onlookers, they should abide by public order and not engage in dangerous behavior or encourage others to engage in dangerous behavior. If the onlookers encourage others to jump or participate in dangerous behavior, which leads to accidents, they may also bear certain legal responsibilities." Fu Jian said that as an individual, they should be responsible for their own behavior and comply with laws and regulations. If an individual jumps without sufficient safety protection and an accident occurs, they may bear the consequences of their own behavior.
Professor Zhu Lijia from the Central Party School told Red Star News that the "Tianjin Diving Master" has been living here for decades, and diving at the Lion Forest Bridge has become a part of their lives. If the local people are willing to continue diving here and the government acquiesces, then when the "Diving Master" unexpectedly becomes popular and is observed or imitated, the management department should still intervene appropriately.
"Diving is not a public project that everyone can participate in, but when you come here to watch diving, it actually indicates that there is smoke and fire in the city. This requires the management department to formulate some corresponding regulations or standardized safety measures, including water source conditions prediction, diving age restrictions, etc., to ensure that this activity can be carried out safely." Zhu Lijia said, "How to manage and what are the standards for management, it requires detailed research and consideration, which also tests management wisdom.".
