Update: Suicide Confirmed at Raffles City Dongzhimen

Dan Edwards | Feb 18, 2011 4:40 pm | 19 comments | 7826 reads

Following rumors posted online earlier today about a death in Raffles City, Dongzhimen, theBeijinger.com contacted Raffles management, who have confirmed the story.

Mr Ye Yang of the Corporate Communications Department of Raffles City confirmed that a death occurred in the shopping center at 11.50am this morning (Friday, February 18), after a man jumped to his death from the fifth floor inside the building.

Mr Ye confirmed the deceased was a Chinese man.

Raffles City remained open throughout the incident.

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Dr. NicK's picture Dr. NicK Submitted by Guest on Wed, 03/02/2011 - 20:25

I'M A FOREIGNER TOO AND I DON'T KNOW WHY ALL THE TIME WE TRY TO PUT CHINESE PEOPLE IN OUR WAY OF DOING THINGS, WHO WE ARE TO TELL THEM HOW THEY HAVE TO DO OR NOT TO DO? THEY HAVE A MILLINERY CULTURE, THEY HAVE SUFFERED, THEY HAVE ADAPTED AND THEY ARE STANDING UP NOW LIKE A BIG NATION, AND WE STILL KEEPING SAYING HOW BAD MANNERS THEY HAVE, ETC.
THEY HAVE LIVED LIKE THIS FOR CENTURIES. MAYBE WE SHOULD DO AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THEIR WAY, AS jrgroeneweg SAID "THEY ARE NOT USED TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS", AT LEAST MOST OF CHINESE PEOPLE, AND LIKE THIS DIFFERENCE WITH WESTERN CULTURE THERE ARE THOUSANDS MORE. SO IF WE ARE LIVING HERE LETS GIVE IT A CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND CHINESE CULTURE, CHINESE THINKING WAY, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO CHANGE EVERYONE IN FRONT OF YOU.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOME FOREIGNERS HAVE BEEN LIVED IN CHINA FOR 10 YEARS AND BARELY SPEAK SOME CHINESE WORDS.
"IT'S EASIER TO WEAR SLIPPERS THAN TRYING TO PUT A RUG IN THE WHOLE WORLD"

tsp999's picture tsp999 Submitted by Guest on Fri, 02/25/2011 - 19:06

I was in the 3rd floor Costa Coffee when this happened. As the commenter above says, the screaming was from the guy who was kneeling over the body, not from the guy who fell, who was dead. There was a variety of reactions from the people in the mall. Some ran away in distress, some just looked on. I didn't see anyone laughing, although clearly I didn't see everyone. Some people in the Costa Coffee didn't react at all during the screaming - foreigners and Chinese alike.

Jerry's picture Jerry Submitted by Guest on Thu, 02/24/2011 - 02:01

Quote:
"not to lump them all together." is just on the moral high ground.

Yes, perhaps, but that's only part of his statement - it's the other part that I disagree with.

Chinese society is screwed up in many fundamental ways, but we'd all be better if we assessed the individual, rather than making generalizations about entire social groups or nationalities. After all, the same kind of mentality can be applied to judging foreigners in China.

Jerry Chan, Digital Marketing & Content Strategy Director

jrgroeneweg's picture jrgroeneweg Submitted by Guest on Wed, 02/23/2011 - 21:00

What I understood from my Chinese wife is that people these are very afraid to "get involved" and help other people as they fear they may be held responsible by family members of the victim if they do anything. She told me a story where a young men helped a woman who had fallen who later hold him responsible for her fall and injuries. The Chinese also seem have a problem to express their emotions in public and that seems also to be why people sometimes are seen laughing at accident sites. In our view that seems and is totally unacceptable.

rockiw.wang's picture rockiw.wang Submitted by Guest on Wed, 02/23/2011 - 20:44

couldn't agree with you more. "Just to make children do not feel pity in life for anyone?????? Is this Chinese culture??" This is a very good question. My answer is that for sure that is not something in relation to culture. It is the crazy side of human beings when people are so attached to something blindly with their souls are tracked away.

rockiw.wang's picture rockiw.wang Submitted by Guest on Wed, 02/23/2011 - 20:24

Jerry wrote:
Quote:
i understand not all but too many to not lump them all together.

Your sentiments are understandable and I would have felt equally horrified had I witnessed such a tragedy, but I don't think this is a logical statement, much less a fair point.

There are without a doubt many unsavory aspects of modern Chinese society, but "lumping them all together" doesn't exactly place you on the moral high ground.

"not to lump them all together." is just on the moral high ground.

Kareena's picture Kareena Submitted by Guest on Mon, 02/21/2011 - 15:04

I agree !! I am foreign person too, but here cannot find love or pity for someone !!Is desgusting !! I had a friend before, she cannot have baby and she BUYED a baby from a young chinese woman ! Is unacceptable to sell your baby for money ony !!! All in China means and is only for money !!! I suffered a lot hurt in love, I was accused I love for money only because the man was a little in good situation than others, I don't lose my time to explain to him, he will never understand what is love or respect for others ! Chinese peoples don't care to call an ambulance if you feel bad in the street, only because the ambulance is not free to comming ! So, I am not wonder why the body of that man was there for 2 hours ! only because they saw this as a spectacle, laughing , is terrible ! how can they show to this to childrens ??? just to make childrens do not feel pity in life for anyone ??? Is this Chinese culture ?? I hate it !!! Is not human !!!

jonewman's picture jonewman Submitted by Guest on Mon, 02/21/2011 - 13:04

We were on Level 3 when this happened. The screaming went for not more than a minute and was not from the dying man, but from his friend or associate who ran down the escalators from Level 5 to Level 1. The suicide story has the most merit from what we heard and saw. We left the building half an hour after it occurred and there were loads of police there and the area had been partitioned off. For the second time in the last 3 weeks I have been impressed with the emergency services here. I think us westerners need to remember that death is a much more accepted part of life here than it is in our home countries. I'm not undermining that it was tragic and unpleasant - not something I care to witness again

Jerry's picture Jerry Submitted by Guest on Mon, 02/21/2011 - 01:49

Quote:
i understand not all but too many to not lump them all together.

Your sentiments are understandable and I would have felt equally horrified had I witnessed such a tragedy, but I don't think this is a logical statement, much less a fair point.

There are without a doubt many unsavory aspects of modern Chinese society, but "lumping them all together" doesn't exactly place you on the moral high ground.

Jerry Chan, Digital Marketing & Content Strategy Director

belter's picture belter Submitted by Guest on Sun, 02/20/2011 - 15:03

I was having lunch at the Bali Thai place just meters from the escalotor when this accident happened. Most of the people there said he was pushed in a rush to get on the escalotor by friends and others. Whether it was a suicide or not is not the point although I am sure jumping only 5 floors one might wonder if the suicide idea has any merrit. The point that i want to make is how sick to my stomach the young Chinese made me. Not all but quite a few. Laughing and point fingers and thinking this was really cool. I have never been so utterly disgusted with people in my life. I am also been coming to China since 1989 and lived here a while so I think in understand a lot about chinese people operate and i can appreciate it is different than Canada. However, there are global social norms or what is not acceptable. Having sex with childrem, kiliing other people and laughing at a man who screamed for 15 minutes in pain before he died in one of those unacceptable norms. Mothers getting there kids on their shoulders for a better view. What kind of screwed up people do that. i for one did not want to see it and could not eat and went home. the body still there when i left my office some two hours later with just his jacket over him. no police or ambulance in site. well i have lost all respect for the young chinese of today< i understand not all but too many to not lump them all together. they have lost their way and the worlds view of chinese living in peace and harmony is a joke when in reality it is every man for himself and screw everyone else. what has caused this in my opinion is the financial revolution and all anyone cares about is themeselves and making 1 yuan. No one cares about anyone in the country other than themselves and it is too bad.
Disgusting barbarian behaviour.

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