More than 600 tour guides from the Guangxi tourism destination of Guilin have been detained for demonstrating to demand government help to improve their working conditions.
A protester detained for about seven hours on Sunday night said more than 1,000 guides gathered in front of the city government hall in Guilin's central square throughout the night, waving banners and shouting: 'We need to eat.'
The protesters urged the government to intervene, cancel all cheap tours offered at less than cost price and to insist travel agents pay the guides basic salaries.
Several thousand regular and city police used force to break up the protest at 11pm, the protester said.
'I saw a girl badly beaten and bleeding and a middle-aged woman was beaten by police while she was taking pictures,' he said.
He said he was detained a11pm and released early yesterday after being questioned by police for nearly seven hours.