An enraged Western tourist scolded a group of deaf Chinese selfie-snappers for taking too long at a popular photo spot at a Parisian palace - before a fight broke out.

Video shows a woman having her photo taken near the grand staircase at the famed Paris Opera House in France, while dozens of people waited in a lengthy queue to go next.

One of the tourists finally snapped and urged her to make way for others, pointing to his watch and indicating they had been hogging the prime spot.

But the altercation quickly broke out into a scuffle when he was pushed and shoved by the man who was with her.

A woman then intervened, shouting 'no, no, no', in an attempt to break up the physical confrontation before it escalated further.

The hearing-impaired Chinese woman became visibly distressed and reportedly claimed he tried to cut in front while she followed the rules and waited in line.

According to a sign language translator, she said: 'I was still posing for photos and they kept pushing in. Then they said my time was up and I told them to go away.

'They were deliberately standing there taking photos right in front of us.' 

The man involved in the altercation seemingly said: 'Everyone is in line, they cut in and that's wrong'. 

He allegedly added: 'Let him try hitting me. I'll beat him to death.'   

The distressed woman reportedly continued: 'You're embarrassing me. How dare you bully us, what gives you the right.' 

She then defiantly held up the Chinese national flag on her phone and flaunted it to the room.

Pointing at her device, the tourist allegedly said: 'Look, China is the best. They're still bullying Chinese people. Just so everyone knows, I am Chinese and I won't be bullied. 

'Don't back down, don't let them get away with it.'

The pair then appeared to use a translator app to complain to security at the venue. 

The woman was met with criticism from online spectators who felt bringing up China was unnecessary and irrelevant to the dispute. 

While others suggested they should have been more mindful of the several people waiting.

The tourist involved responded to the incident on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, saying she has learned from the altercation.

She said: 'This incident taught me a lesson for the first time. I won't make this mistake again. At that time, we had an unnecessary argument and lost our rationality because we didn't think before we spoke or acted.'

She added: 'After all, our Chinese flag is precious... Respecting the national flag and paying attention to the national image is the most basic responsibility of every citizen. 

'Don't show the national flag to them in the future.'