37 Chinese tourists locked up in mattress store by tour guide

A video shared on Weibo, China's largest social media channel, on March 26 showed a group of tourists lying down on mattresses to protest against their tour guide who forced them to purchase products at the store in Yunnan Province.

The user who posted the video said they had bought a tour package that departed from Liaoning to Yunnan but were forced into the mattress store by their tour guide who joined the store owner to lock all of them inside, Sohu reported.

One of the tourists recorded a video as evidence, while others protested by lying on the displayed mattresses.

After the video went viral on social media, local authorities stepped in to investigate the incident, Chinese news site 163 reported.

After the investigation, authorities imposed a fine of 10,000 yuan (US$1,380) on the tour guide, who did not have a working license.

The travel companies involved are under investigation.

Chinese netizens claimed the punishment was too light.

A netizen wrote "The fine was too small and not enough to deter similar incidents."

"It's a shame for tourism industry," another wrote.

In February, a tour guide was fined 20,000 yuan and suspended for three months after forcing a family of Chinese tourists off a bus for refusing to buy a bracelet at jewelry store for 50,000 yuan (US$6,950).