People & CultureTrending in China
‘Total humiliation’: Chinese visitors made to give seats to foreigners at tourist site prompts apology after online outrage
Influencer attacks tourist site for giving special treatment to foreigners and delaying performance for late-arriving overseas visitorsThe video, seen by millions, is causing outrage online and prompted site management to issue public apology less than nine hours laterTrending in ChinaFran Luin BeijingPublished: 2:00pm, 17 Sep, 2023Why you can trust SCMP
A tourist attraction in central China’s Hubei province has caused an outcry on mainland social media after an influencer accused it of forcing domestic Chinese visitors to give up seats for 11 foreign tourists.
On September 10, Chinese travel influencer Lanzhanfei, a video blogger with nearly 4 million followers on Douyin, posted a video accusing the management of the Shengshi Tangcheng tourist site in Xiangyang city of discriminating against local tourists.
The influencer said he went to the site the night before to watch a featured evening performance but discovered staff had reserved some space for 11 foreign guests and would not allow local tourists to stand or sit in front of the area.
According to Lanzhanfei, more than 1,000 tourists had gathered to watch the performance, for which he paid 126 yuan (US$17) for a ticket to see ancient Chinese-style performances, including horse riding, which the Tang dynasty-themed tourist site is renowned for.
He said he was further irritated when the site management postponed the show by seven minutes while they waited for the foreigners to take their seats after they arrived late.