A GROUP of half-naked elderly men diving off a bridge in downtown Tianjin has recently taken the internet by storm.

Their once unnoticed pastime has made them viral sensations, but the spotlight raises new safety concerns as copycats attempt to follow their lead.

The grandpas, who are deeply tanned and exude enthusiasm, love to perform their signature moves, which often include humorous self-introduction and quips in local dialect, before performing the daring plunge.

Visitors to the bridge will find the grandpas surrounded by curious onlookers, cheering youths, and internet celebrities who come to watch the dives and give points using self-made scoring cards.

The Shizilin Bridge stands about six meters above the surface of the Haihe River, which runs across Tianjin and there are occasionally ships sailing by.

As the bridge’s popularity and audience continue to grow, the safety of the sport has become worrisome.

To protect the safety of the daring grandpas and occasional tourists and internet celebrities who perform the own dives, volunteers in red vests, along with traffic police and urban management officers, have appeared at the bridge to keep the divers and crowds in order, along with lifesavers and rescue teams who are on standby.

“It’s no joke for people with zero experience in diving. Safety should always comes first, and people should not simply try diving because others are doing it,” said one of the grandpas to thepaper.cn.

Amid the diving videos, short-video platform Douyin users have jokingly dubbed the Shizilin Bridge as a “8A level” tourist attraction, while 5A represents the top level of China’s tourist attractions rating system. (www.shine.cn)