China launches $8 tour to hometown of Olympics diving champion Quan Hongchan

One tour that targets visitors aged 25 to 70 is priced at 58 yuan (US$8.17), the South China Morning Post reported.

The age restriction is designed to encourage tourists to spend money during their visit, allowing travel companies to earn commissions from shopping activities, as reported by Jiupai News, adding those outside this age range must pay an additional 70 yuan.

A photo shared on Weibo shows tourists gather in front of Quan Hongchan in Maihe Village, Guangdong Province.

Other agencies offer tours with prices ranging from a few dozen to several hundred yuan.

To manage the influx of tourists, several police officers have been deployed in the village to ensure safety, Shanghai Daily reported.

The launch of these tours has sparked lively discussions on Chinese social media, with many expressing curiosity about the tourist attraction.

"It's great to visit the hometown of the rising star. Only 58 yuan—what a bargain," one netizen wrote.

"Fantastic! It’s a way to help promote her hometown and China tourism," another netizen wrote.

However, others are worried the athlete would be disturbed by the tourist influx and her reputation would be misused.

Gold medalist China's Quan Hongchan poses during the podium ceremony after the women's 10m platform diving final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Center in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Aug. 6, 2024. Photo by AFP

Quan, 17, won two gold medals in Paris earlier this month, and one gold from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was delayed to 2021 due to Covid-19.

She rose to fame at age 14 in Tokyo, where she achieved three perfect scores out of her five dives.