Home rental website Airbnb has scrapped a contest offering a chance to spend the night at a section of the Great Wall of China after an online backlash from people worried it could damage the site. News of the "Night At The Great Wall" contest lit up Chinese
Home rental website Airbnb has scrapped a contest offering a chance to spend the night at a section of the Great Wall of China after an online backlash from people worried it could damage the site.
News of the “Night At The Great Wall” contest lit up Chinese social media, with critics calling it a publicity stunt that lacked respect for the ancient monument.
“No matter how they dress it up, this doesn’t hide the fact that this contest is by a private company that will undeniably cause damage to an ancient artifact,” one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.
Officials from the Yanqing district — home to the section of the Great Wall that was to host the sleepover — said in a statement that they had not been notified about the event and that no approval was given.
“We have made the decision to not move forward with this event and instead we are working on a range of other experiences and initiatives that showcase China as a destination,” Airbnb said Tuesday.
