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Phoenix Kwong

A Shanghai teahouse has been fined 500,000 yuan (HK$600,000) and had its business licence revoked over a scam that saw two Japanese students charged 48 yuan for each sip of Chinese tea they drank, Chinese media reports.
The students were told by the teahouse that they had to pay a total bill of more than 2,100 yuan after drinking only a few cups of the tea.
No more idle chatter in the Great Teahouse of the People
Huangpu district police bureau said two shareholders in the teahouse in Yu Garden, a popular tourist spot in the old part of the Shanghai, were sentenced to five days’ detention for their part in the scam, Chinanews.com reported on Wednesday.
The district’s market supervision administration announced the punishments on the same day.
The scam sparked heated discussion on Chinese social media, with many internet users saying the teahouse deserved a heavy punishment because it had brought shame to the nation.
The two students had accompanied three strangers to the teahouse last week, where they sat down and drank a few cups of Chinese tea, the report said.
They were shocked when they received a bill of more than 2,100 yuan.
Pandas, teahouses and indoor sun: Here are 8 reasons Chengdu beats Shanghai
Xinhua news agency reported that the students were told by the teahouse they had to pay a fee of 48 yuan for each sip of tea they took.
As the students did not have enough money to pay the bill, the teahouse staff confiscated all of their money, which totalled more than 1,000 yuan.
The students reported the matter to police after realising they had been cheated. The teahouse later returned the money, the report said.



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China society

Japanese tourists charged 48 yuan per sip of Chinese tea in Shanghai teahouse scam

The two Japanese students reported the matter to police after they realised they had been cheated by the Shanghai teahouse. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Yu garden in Shanghai

No more idle chatter in the Great Teahouse of the People

A hostess waits to serve guests as delegates drink tea during the opening ceremony of the National People's Congress in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last Saturday. Photo: AFP

epa05192176 Chinese security officers guard before the opening of the Fourth Session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People (GHOP) in Beijing, China, 03 March 2016. The CPPCC is the top advisory body of the Chinese political system and runs alongside the annual plenary meetings of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), together known as 'Lianghui' or 'Two Meetings'. EPA/WU HONG

(160306) -- BEIJING, March 6, 2016 (Xinhua) -- The opening meeting of the fourth session of China's 12th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2016. From early to mid-March, the NPC, the top legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, China's top political advisory body, convene their annual sessions, known collectively as the "two sessions." In about two weeks, legislators representing all regions, the armed forces and other groups and political advisors from all walks of life discuss major state policies to be implemented this year and a development roadmap for the next five years. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)(mcg)

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China

People & Culture

Teahouse in Yu Garden, a popular tourist spot, fined and has licence revoked over for cheating the two Japanese students
