Christmas market probed for fraud
Print Edition
AUTHORITIES are investigating a Christmas-themed market in downtown that has drawn criticism for its exaggerated promotions and overpriced eateries and entry tickets.
In fact, the 2014 Shanghai European Christmas Village near the Hongkou Football Stadium has little or no connections with Europe at all, barring a barbecue stall, a strangely dressed Santa Claus and a Christmas tree.
The Hongkou District industrial and commercial bureau is investigating if the market, with 50 yuan (US$8.07) entry tickets, is guilty of fake commercial promotion. Separately, the quality supervision and inspection authority is also checking on the certificates of the stalls. Organizers claimed over 46,000 visitors had visited the market since it opened on Saturday. It is scheduled to run until December 26.
European-style villas, huge Christmas trees, carousels and delicious-looking food have been lavishly played up in promotions. But in actual fact, an ordinary food market has been set up on a former swimming pool.
The market has 48 stalls with 60 percent of them selling fried chicken wings, squids and lamb chops. A hot dog and a cup of juice costs 30 yuan each. There were no European houses and carousels. A frail-looking Santa Clause stood at the entrance taking pictures with visitors, while another person chased visitors to take part in a luck draw.
This reporter needed just 10 minutes to walk through the entire market!
“I feel cheated,” a visitor surnamed Shi said. Shi took a day’s leave from work to take her 3-year-old son to the market after seeing the promotions.
“It is just an expensive food market,” she said.
A stall owner selling candies and artistic bowls told Shanghai Daily she paid about 5,000 yuan to rent the space after seeing the promotions of the “village.”
The market has been organized by Shanghai Ou Xuan Culture and Media Co Ltd.
An organizer surnamed Jin admitted the promotion pictures were downloaded from the Internet, but they were not meant to cheat the visitors.
“We wanted to use more decorations made of glasses, but the safety inspection authority said they posed safety risks so we had to change to plastic and paper products,” Jin claimed. She said they would try to improve the services and offer discounts and was willing to offer refunds to those who were unhappy.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
