Excited mallgoers looted 'presents' from a Christmas tree in China.

Shoppers at Wuyue Plaza in Taiyuan, Shanxi, mistakenly believed that the boxes attached to the massive holiday tree contained gifts, sparking a frenzy as they tried to tear them off.

Footage shows customers surrounding the tilted tree, with some climbing the artificial branches to yank the colourful gift boxes on December 24.

However, after successfully grabbing a few, the disappointed mob realised the boxes were empty and lightweight.

Worried locals expressed concerns, fearing that children might get electrocuted by the hidden wiring inside the tree. However, a mall staff member told local media that the giant decoration was hollow.

One of the security guards said: 'They just flocked around the tree, and we couldn't control them because they thought the boxes had gifts inside.

'We kept dissuading them, but we couldn't stop them. A lot of people didn't listen to us, and some even pushed us.

'We had no choice but to watch as the Christmas tree was dismantled little by little until it disappeared completely.'

Local media reported that an individual stepped over the fence and began dismantling the tree's decorations, prompting other intrigued shoppers to join in.

The mall management said: 'The total value of the Christmas tree and its decorations exceeded tens of thousands of yuan, and we had to spend extra time and manpower to clean up the scene and restore order after it was looted.'