“Touted as great, ended in tragedy!” If you happened to come across this line while scrolling through Weibo, you might not pay much attention. But when it comes from the official Weibo account of the Siguniangshan scenic area, it definitely becomes something to watch.
The day before yesterday, Hubei TV’s “Break Out of Crisis” program posted a Weibo announcement: Liu Yachao, a backpacker who went missing in Siguniangshan for 10 days and miraculously survived three years ago, will soon join the show and lead the crew back to Siguniangshan. This immediately raised concerns for the Siguniangshan scenic area...
News Background
The Miracle Back Then
On February 8, 2009, Liu Yachao and his companions, who had been missing in Siguniangshan for 10 days and attracted dozens of rescuers, returned to Chengdu.
Their original plan was to take three to four days, relying on their survival instincts to hike a certain route. Because they took a wrong turn at the beginning, they had used up most of their food in the first three days. In fact, the food they brought could only last for those initial three days.
For the final four days without any food, they evaporated their urine to lick the salt from it and ate insects. Eventually, after falling several times off cliffs, they floated downstream along a river until they found a local farmhouse and got in touch with their families.
Liu Yachao and another missing backpacker both worked at the same outdoor adventure club. When interviewed that year, Liu Yachao said, “We managed to get through such a difficult situation this time—maybe there’s nothing in Sichuan we can’t cross in the future.”
This statement shows that, compared to the low-profile apologies of backpackers who went missing in Siguniangshan in 2011 after returning home, the 2009 disappearance and subsequent rescue mission was still something to boast about.
Come and Watch
Scenic Area vs. TV Station
00:21, February 1
Official Weibo Warns at Midnight: Bear the Consequences
Yesterday, a Weibo post from the Siguniangshan scenic area’s official account early in the morning caught netizens’ attention: “Touted as great, ended in tragedy!On behalf of the scenic area, we solemnly warn you!The route is closed!Bear the consequences!”
This Weibo was in response to an announcement from Hubei TV’s “Break Out of Crisis” program, which introduced how Chengdu native Liu Yachao endured a 10-day life-and-death struggle in Siguniangshan three years ago and is now planning to return. “Break Out of Crisis will retrace the snowy mountain adventure, presenting the 10-day survival journey of the news subject. Stay tuned.”
00:37–13:25, February 1
TV Program Crew
Accuses Scenic Area of Poor Management
After the outburst from the Siguniangshan scenic area, a staff member of “Break Out of Crisis” with the Weibo name “Yang Ning’s Weibo” replied in the early hours: “The scenic area itself doesn’t focus on education, information dissemination, improving signage systems, or backup reporting mechanisms, yet blames us.”
Later, this staff member, who claimed to be a mother, also criticized the scenic area’s management style: “Simple, crude, and completely irrational—that’s the scenic area’s way of providing information and educating the public.”
09:24, February 1
Official Weibo Apologizes for Emotional Outburst
Shortly afterward, the Siguniangshan scenic area’s official Weibo posted a public apology: “Upon learning from Hubei TV, Break Out of Crisis, and Yang Ning’s Weibo that they plan to retrace the sealed-off Longyan area, we reacted emotionally, spoke rudely, hurt public sentiment, and hereby offer our sincere apologies.”
Not Just a Misunderstanding
Biggest Concern: “The More Forbidden, the More They Come”
In fact, “Yang Ning’s Weibo” talked a lot about the scenic area’s management but forgot to mention that the program never actually intended to retrace the original route. And even after the apology, the Siguniangshan scenic area remains concerned...
“Break Out of Crisis” Program Team
It Was All a Misunderstanding, They Won’t Really Retrace the Route
Program producer Li Tao stated that this was all a misunderstanding. The program is a public safety educational show focused on life safety education, "such as how to escape in the event of disasters and emergencies, and popularizing some escape techniques."
Li Tao said the term "retracing" used in the Weibo post does not mean walking the original route again. "First of all, we cannot violate regulations by entering closed-off routes, and we also need to ensure our own safety." In reality, it's just a re-enactment of the scenario. "We film at the scenic area, recreating scenes to show how they kept warm, made fire, found food, and other experiences at the time."
Li Tao said, "Regarding the incident itself from back then, the program takes a critical stance, and during the recording, the involved parties also apologized for what happened."
Li Tao finally shifted the topic back to the response from the Siguniang Mountain official Weibo account, believing there were inappropriate aspects. "As the management authority, they should look for their own shortcomings. Our program content is actually helping the scenic area highlight where people shouldn’t go."
Siguniang Mountain Administration
The more society talks, the more chaotic it gets; the program could have an 'inciting' effect
Yesterday’s Siguniang Mountain scenic area official Weibo account was maintained by Tang Zhen, deputy director of the marketing department of the scenic area administration.
Yesterday morning, although he apologized to the public for his earlier harsh words, "I still disagree with the approach of this program. I believe there is a strange phenomenon now called 'the more you talk, the more chaotic it gets.' Assuming the TV program airs, even more tourists might go exploring, seeking thrills by avoiding management."
Tang Zhen said the earlier "harsh words" were "ugly in tone but correct in principle. Although the TV station believes their intention was to educate adventurous tourists, I think this is not education, but 'incitement.' If people seek thrills, many non-standard practices will inevitably emerge. Sensationalizing dangerous routes is actually detrimental to all parties."
Over 80% of netizens oppose retracing the route
After the official post was released, most netizens expressed support for the Siguniang Mountain scenic area’s official Weibo, with comments like "Support Siguniang" and "The scenic area’s official Weibo is so badass" flooding in. Some netizens felt the scenic area’s statement was indeed undignified, asking, "Who’s managing this Weibo? No PR sense?"
In a poll titled "Adventurous travelers warned by scenic area after planning to revisit Siguniang Mountain—should the scenic area apologize?" 85% of netizens (as of 19:49 yesterday) believed the scenic area did not need to apologize, and that "these people deserve to be scolded—they’re just wasting public resources."