Two Japanese tourists in their 20s found themselves in hot water—and then deported—after pulling a prank at the iconic Great Wall of China.
The duo, a man and a woman were detained for two weeks after the man exposed his buttocks while the woman snapped photos at the World Heritage site near Beijing.
Security guards quickly intervened, detaining the pair on the spot. According to reports, exposing the lower half of the body in public is against Chinese law, and the tourists were held for around two weeks before being deported.
When questioned, the tourists reportedly told the Japanese embassy that the stunt was meant as a prank. However, the joke didn’t land well, especially in a country where the Great Wall of China is a symbol of national pride.
The incident sparked a firestorm on Chinese social media, with a hashtag translating to “Japanese man and woman detained for indecent behavior at the Great Wall” racking up over 60 million views on Weibo by Friday morning.
Many users expressed outrage, with some comments veering into hateful territory due to lingering historical tensions between China and Japan stemming from Japan’s colonial occupation in the 1930s and 40s.
Chinese actor Chen Yitian, who boasts over 7 million followers, joined the chorus of criticism, writing, “Shameful things on my Great Wall.” His comment quickly gained traction, reflecting the widespread anger over the incident.
