A man has been detained for deliberately damaging a 50-centimeter-long stalagmite that was formed over tens of thousands of years at a scenic spot in Southwest China's Guizhou Province, according to media reports. 

Surveillance footage taken in the Qianlong Cave Scenic Spot in Guizhou's Songtao county, which later went viral online, shows a male tourist in a white T-shirt kicking the stalagmite on May 29 until it cracks.

The damaged part was about 30 centimeters long, Chongqing-based news site cqcb.com reported.

According to the Beijing Youth Daily, the man chatted with his friends and left the scene after damaging the rock formation.

Wang Yong, an adventure enthusiast, told the Beijing Youth Daily that it took tens of thousands of years to form the stalagmite the man broke, and it will be difficult to restore it to its former appearance.

Songtao county police detained the man, surnamed Zhang, on Saturday after the cave management reported the case.

According to cqcb.com, Zhang kicked the stalagmite because he suspected it was man-made rather than naturally formed.

Zhang received a 10-day detention, and was fined 500 yuan ($73).

The case sparked hot discussion among Chinese netizens after the footage was uploaded online.

Many denounced Zhang's behavior on social media, calling for the authorities to establish a blacklist to ban vandals like Zhang from visiting scenic spots.  

The stalagmite is mainly made from relatively soft calcium carbonate that can be broken fairly easily.

Previous media reports revealed that Karst scenic spots in other parts of China including Shandong and Liaoning provinces have had their stalagmite deliberately damaged by tourists.