YouTuber ‘Arab’ and his friends risked getting in trouble with the law by bribing a local villager to help them sneak into the Great Wall of China.
YouTuber ‘Arab,’ who boasts over 1.89 million subscribers, is known for his danger-skirting travel content, most notably getting kidnapped by Haitian gangs and held for a $600K ransom in 2024.
His latest international exploit saw the influencer and his buddies record their adventures through China, where he aimed to “push the boundaries of freedom in a Communist nation” by sneaking into a forbidden section of the Great Wall.
The Great Wall is a famous landmark built over the course of two millennia, first constructed around 770 – 476 BCE. While it’s a popular destination for international tourists and domestic travelers alike, some sections of the wall have crumbled away and are cordoned off by the Chinese government for preservation and safety reasons.
The Great Wall of China boasts numerous protected areas that travelers are encouraged against visiting.
YouTuber sneaks into Great Wall by bribing guard
Arab was determined to enter one of these forbidden areas, in spite of the risks — even if it meant bribing someone to get in, something he successfully managed to do.
One of his friends paid a security guard the equivalent of $200 USD to overlook their entry, selling him a story that the group were experienced climbers who wouldn’t cause any trouble.
YouTube: ArabArab pointed out that a sign in the area urged travelers against visiting this area of the wall, but argued that officials simply wanted to avoid issues like camping, littering and vandalism.
“I had to pull out all my Chinese, bro,” the friend said, explaining what their conversation had been like. “I was like, ‘That guy climbed Mount Everest, I climbed Kilimanjaro. These guys are world experts. We’re gonna be in for hours, nothing’s going to happen, we’re not going to get injured. Look at these shoes. We’ve gone to the highest mountains.’ He was like, ‘Alright, alright.’”
“I purposefully went and got fresh hundreds that you can’t deny,” Arab boasted.
The group eventually managed to climb onto the wall and enjoyed the view from the age-old structure, even running into other hikers and sharing drinks together.
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While vandalizing the Great Wall can come with criminal charges, such as fines or detention, trespassing into prohibited areas of the structure can get offenders blacklisted from purchasing tickets to visit the landmark and other historic sites in the future.
Although Arab was able to get away with this unauthorized visit, another travel-focused content creator wasn’t so lucky. Indian authorities arrested American YouTuber Mykhailo Polyakov after he set foot on North Sentinel Island, a protected site where uncontacted tribes live.
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