Chinese teens fined S$395,706 for peeing in Shanghai Haidilao hotpot

A court in Shanghai has ordered two male teenagers, both 17, and their parents to pay 2.2 million yuan (S$395,706) on Sep. 12 in damages after the boys urinated into a hotpot at a Haidilao restaurant.

According to The Standard, the families, surnamed Wu and Tang, were also ordered to publicly apologise.

Urinated into hotpot while drunk

The incident, which took place in February 2025, was captured in a video that later went viral and sparked outrage.

It had shown one of the teenagers relieving themselves into a hotpot at the chain's Bund outlet.

Haidilao said that it would pursue legal action against those responsible, regardless of whether the act was staged or real.

Police later placed the pair under administrative detention.

Told to apologise publicly

Following the incident, Haidilao replaced all cookware and tableware at the restaurant and offered full refunds, along with tenfold compensation, to customers who had dined there over 13 days.

The company also filed a lawsuit, claiming losses of up to 20 million yuan from reputational damage and operational disruptions.

In its sentencing, the Huangpu District Court also asked the teenagers, along with their parents, to publicly apologise in a designated newspaper.

The court also found the parents liable for failing to supervise their sons, ordering them to compensate Haidilao for economic losses—including 130,000 yuan (S$23,372) for damaged cookware and cleaning, 2 million yuan (S$359,577) for business and reputational harm, and 70,000 yuan (S$12,585) in legal fees.

Top photos via Douyin & Haidilao