In a viral video taken by one of the tourists, some of his fellow travelers are seen sitting on a bed while others are seen lying on the bed. The store staff seems to be guarding the store to prevent them from leaving.
“This is a shop in Xishuangbanna that sells latex mattresses. We arrived at noon and we are still here,” said the tourist who shot the video.
“The group of 37 tourists is not allowed to leave the country,” she added.
It is unclear exactly how long the group was held inside the store, but it is believed to have been several hours before they were finally released.
The tourists explained that they each spent 3,979 yuan (US$550) to join a group tour to Yunnan run by Liaoning Youde International Travel Service.
“I didn’t expect that all the activities in Xishuangbanna would be about shopping,” she said.
Once the clip was shared online, it went viral and an official investigation was launched.
Details of how the group was ultimately allowed to leave the store are unclear.
The next day, the Local Market Regulation Administration made the announcement on its WeChat account.
They said the store was owned by Taisi Dika Sleep Technology Company, and local travel agency Faxian Zhilv was responsible for conducting the group tour on behalf of Youde Travel Services.
As a result, Taishi Dika was ordered to cease trading and the local tourist guide was fined 10,000 yuan (US$1,400). The investigation into the travel agency continues.
The story sparked an outpouring of anger on mainland social media.
“It seems like a really bad thing,” said one online observer.
“Is this illegal detention?” another asked.
It is common for tourists traveling to Yunnan Province to be forced to buy things by tour guides.
In February, a family of five was asked to get off a tour bus by their guide after they refused to buy a 50,000 yuan (about 700,000 yen) gold bracelet.
Last August, a tour guide in southwestern China was investigated after a video surfaced of him “blackmailing” tourists and forcing them to buy things during an ecotour.
