Why This Fight in a Haidilao Outlet in China Has Gone Viral

A recent altercation at a Haidilao outlet in Changsha, Hunan province, involving a woman and a self-proclaimed famous lawyer from Hong Kong, has taken social media by storm.

The incident, which occurred on 12 October, drew comparisons to a scene from the classic Chinese novel Water Margin (水湖传) due to its striking resemblance.

Here’s what happened and why it went viral.

The Spark That Ignited the Brawl

The incident began when the woman, Jiang Yan, was dining with friends at the restaurant.

According to Jiang, a complete stranger, who claimed to be a famous lawyer, approached their table and began hurling insults at the people of Changsha, calling them “poor people with despicable taste and character.”

Despite attempts by the man’s friend to apologize on his behalf, the man persisted with his verbal abuse and eventually threw a metal poster stand at Jiang.

In response, Jiang initially threw pieces of vegetables at him.

Suffice to say, that is unacceptable (do you know how expensive vegetables are in Haidilao?!) and that was when the situation quickly spiraled out of control, with videos capturing Jiang mounting the man, who was lying on the ground, holding his hair, and delivering forceful punches to his head.

Another video showed the man hitting Jiang on the head with an object, while she retaliated by slapping him and striking him with her high heels.

During the scuffle, Jiang’s hair extensions and the man’s spectacles fell to the ground.

The altercation only ended when bystanders intervened and separated them.

Footage of the fight spread like wildfire on Weibo, capturing the attention of netizens who quickly drew parallels to the iconic scene from Water Margin where the character Wu Song pins down a tiger and beats it to death.

Many praised Jiang as a hero for standing up to the man, especially after learning of the unprovoked insults directed at her and her friends.

Jiang’s Perspective and Call for Non-Violence

Following the viral spread of the videos, Jiang took to Weibo and Douyin to clarify her stance.

She explained that she and her friends had initially intended to leave the restaurant to avoid further conflict. However, the man followed them and continued his insults, leaving her with little choice but to defend herself when he attacked her.

While she condemned her own actions and urged people not to circulate the footage or glorify violence, she also emphasized that the man’s behavior, including his claims of superiority for being from Hong Kong and his refusal to pay for his meal, contributed to the unfortunate incident.