The life and death of 'China's first rooftopper' Wu Yongning (2024)

Wu Yongning's tragic death was broadcast to millions after the daredevil died while attempting pull-ups from the ledge of a 62-storey Chinese skyscraper back in December 2017.

'China's first roof-topper' was well-known for the fearless stunts he posted on social media — so much so that even his tragic death went viral.

Who was Wu Yongning?

Wu Yongning was a 26-year-old daredevil fromChina, who is believed to have made a living from creating viral videos through undertaking hair-raising stunts and sharing them with his online following.

The thrill-seeker posted stomach-flipping footage of himself hanging off treacherously tall buildings and structures, gaining lucrative sponsorship deals for doing so.

He was referred to on occasion as the 'Chinese Superman' and is believed to have been a pioneer of the roof-topping movement in his country.

His tragic fall occurred as he was filming himself doing pull-ups at the top of the Huayuan International Centre in Changsha, capital of the Hunan Province in Central China.

It is believed he free-climbed “nearly 20 more floors” to reach the position where he filmed.

According to Chinese media, his goal was to "take on the world's high-rise buildings without any protection".

A recent investigation by Beijing News found he hadposted more than 500 short videos and livestreams on Huoshan, a video sharing site.

He had reportedly made at least550,000 yuan (£62,000) from sharing his clips on the platform.

The South China Morning Post quoted his step-uncle as saying that he planned to propose to his girlfriend the day after the challenge.

"He needed the money for the wedding, and for medical treatment for his ailing mother," he is reported to have said.

Was his death captured on video?

Wu Yongning filmed nearly all of his exploits and shared them on social media platform Weibo and video website Huoshan.

The shocking video that has now emerged appears to show him attempting several pull-ups before losing his grip and falling to his death, which can be viewed at the bottom of this page.

Police believe Wu fell roughly 45 feet onto a terrace below, dying of his injuries during or shortly after the accident.

His body was allegedly discovered by a window cleaner.

Chinese media have commented on the perilous nature of live streaming since Yongning's tragic fall.

One editorial in Chinese Daily said that the climber's death was a reminder of the need for stronger supervision of live streaming apps.

"Some of them try to hype things up with obscene and dangerous things, and their purpose is to attract more eyeballs and make a profit," the editorial stated.

When did he fall from the Huyuan International Centre?

Wu Yongning's girlfriend, known only as "JinJin", confirmed that he died on November 8, 2017.

Fans had already begun to speculate before the news broke about his death.

This was due to his unusual absence from social media from the date of his tragic passing.

What is rooftopping?

Rooftopping is a practice of accessing rooftops for the thrill of it — and sometimes to take dizzying skyline photography, demonstrated by Yongning in his stunning shots.

The urban sport has spiked in popularity in recent years, with activists sometimes using the mode to create awareness around political campaigns.

Rooftopping is usually carried out in cities, and often filmed or photographed and shared by those undertaking the stunts.

There have been several high profile deaths from the craze, with some cases seeing teens plunging several stories to their untimely deaths.

Some of the social media stars take to well-known skyscrapers — while others scope out abandoned man-made structures, which is known as urban exploration.