Eight tourists on vacation at a tourist attraction in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Saturday was reportedly battered by several stick and knife wielding suspects after getting involved in a dispute with waiters from a local restaurant, a netizen revealed to Beijing Youth Daily.
The group was attacked by about five friends of the restaurant patron after complaining that their order of soy milk had not arrived, which soon stirred up a fight with the restaurant staff, Lijiang Public Security Bureau confirmed Sunday on its official Weibo account.
Zhao, along with seven other travelers, "left the restaurant after reconciling with the staff with the help of police," according to an announcement released by the Bureau.
They were then unexpectedly assaulted by the gang led by a man identified as Wen, who later confessed to police that the attack was carried out in retaliation to the group's unscrupulous demeanor.
The case has soon ignited widespread backlash on China's social networks over the past two days, with numerous netizens condemning the restaurant for the violence it imposed on the tourists.
Extending heartfelt apologies to the attacked travelers, the landlady, identified as Zeng, who was widely deplored as being behind the strike, on Saturday unveiled miscellaneous details of the incident pointing at Zhao's brutality.
According to the declaration made by Zeng on her Weibo account, Zhao shouted at her mother multiple times at the restaurant, while complaining about not getting his soy milk.
In video footage provided by the restaurant, Zhao was also seen deliberately smashing the bowl of soy milk on the floor after the waiter eventually served the beverage.
Reconciling with Zhao, Zeng said she herself never expected the group would be besieged by Wen, her ex-husband, who rushed to the restaurant after learning about the incident.
Zhao following the attack was diagnosed as bearing minor injuries by local hospital with the others beaten remaining intact. All of the five suspects have been currently arrested and sentenced to between 10 and 15 days of administration detention.
Although it raised wide attention online, the case is not the first time that tourists have been assaulted at the Lijiang tourist attraction, which is renowned for its breathtaking waterscape, exquisite ancient buildings, and overwhelming cultural flavor.
A woman surnamed Dong was left with her face disfigured after being punched by 12 men in the head while dining in Lijiang in November last year.
Another woman on Sunday was also allegedly sexually assaulted by the patron of her hotel while travelling alone in Lijiang, arousing extensive concerns over the tourism security in the attraction.
