'Test of Courage' cliff edge destroyed after attracting daredevil tourists

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China
China's "Test of Courage" was destroyed in order to prevent accidents (Image: Douyin)

A famous cliff edge in China known as the "Test of Courage" has been destroyed after attracting waves of daredevil tourists.

Chinese authorities shut down the overhanging rock where thousands of travellers would flock every year.

Similar to Norway’s “Troll’s tongue”, the attraction extended over a deep valley in Anyan, Henan province.

But the overhang was removed to stop tourists from climbing to the edge to take photographs, according to government officials.

This was despite signs in the area warning that it was unstable, with cracks in the stone.

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"A lot of people climb the rock to take photos," officials explained in an interview with the South China Morning Post.

"It’s too dangerous so we smashed it, fearing accidents would happen there."

Some 22,000 people agreed that the government were right to destroy the natural formation in an online survey.

'Test of Courage' cliff edge destroyed after attracting daredevil touristsThe overhanging platform was destroyed by officials (Douyin)

While 7,300 said that the attraction should have remained untouched.

Some critics even suggested that the government took the "lazy" approach by destroying the natural formation.

Instead, they suggested that the government should have introduced more effective measures to prevent tourists from walking to the edge.

The People's Daily, a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party, said the move was the fault of "irresponsible tourists".

A spokesperson said: "It appears that the rock was destroyed by the local government.

"But in fact, it was destroyed by those irresponsible tourists.

"What did this rock test? It tested out the sense of responsibility by the local government but also the lack of sense of safety by some tourists, who played with fire with their own lives. It tested out their disregard for rules."

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Laura Sharman

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