Chinese restaurant offers lion cub cuddles with $150 afternoon tea
A restaurant in northern China is offering diners a controversial luxury experience: the chance to cuddle lion cubs while enjoying a four-course afternoon tea. The service, priced at 1,078 yuan ($150) per person, has triggered a wave of criticism online over animal welfare concerns.
The Wanhui restaurant, located in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, began operating in June and promotes its animal-friendly setting on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, featuring not only lion cubs but also llamas, turtles, and deer, News.Az reports, citing CNN.
Images and videos circulating on WeChat and Weibo show customers cradling the cubs “like babies,” fueling backlash. Many social media users called the practice dangerous and unethical.
“This is for the rich to play,” one user wrote. “Ordinary people can’t even afford a drink.”
Another added: “The relevant authorities should intervene.”
According to state-run Shanghai Daily, the restaurant sells about 20 tickets daily, attracting customers eager to post about the experience online. However, the outlet noted “serious concerns about legality and animal welfare.”
The controversy follows a recent case in Chongqing, where authorities investigated a hotel for allowing red pandas to wake up guests by climbing onto their beds — another practice widely condemned by animal rights advocates.
Reuters was unable to reach Wanhui for comment.
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