The "Land Diving" is the predecessor of bungee jumping.
Bungee jumping originated from a coming-of-age ceremony on the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. Residents of one of the islands, called Pentecost Island, hold a "Land Diving" event every year in April and May.
To prepare for this event, young men spend five weeks building a "jump tower" about 30 meters high using branches and tree trunks, and they lay wooden planks at different heights on the jump tower to allow jumpers to choose different heights for their jumps. To prevent the wood used for the jump platform from drying out in the sun, large leaves are also placed over it. Once the jump tower is completed, the young men preparing to participate in the jumps begin searching for suitable vines in the nearby dense forest. The vines found must meet two conditions: first, they must be strong enough to ensure they do not break during the jump; second, they must be of appropriate length to ensure that the jumper's head does not touch the ground when falling to the lowest point.
During the "Land Diving," jumpers first choose different heights of the jump platform based on their courage and ability. They then stand on their chosen platform, tying a vine to each foot, with the other end of the vines secured to a wooden frame at the top of the jump tower. The jumper first waves to the audience, then raises their arms high, and with a loud shout, leaps off the platform headfirst towards the ground. The entire process lasts only a few seconds. As the jumper, with their hair sweeping the ground and hanging upside down, "falls" in front of the crowd, there is an eruption of enthusiastic cheers from the audience. Those young men who have been waiting at the base of the jump tower rush forward to lift the jumper high and help them untie the two vines from their feet.
Next, another jumper stands on the jump platform, waves to the audience just like the previous one, raises their arms high, and then with a loud shout, leaps off the platform...