West Lake Alert: That Roadside Fruit? Yeah, Hard Pass. #AvoidTheScam

[Howard Legros]

Oh, my fellow wanderers, I'd like to share an experience with you and give you a little reminder!

In mid-April, I took a stroll through a large forest behind West Lake in Hangzhou (it's kind of like a botanical garden and has great scenery!). After I got hungry, I happened upon a small restaurant by the side of the road where I satisfied my hunger.

• When I finished eating and came out, it was already dark. At the entrance, a couple of elderly people were selling fruits.
• When I spotted some red cherries, I casually asked how much they cost.
• The old man said, "$45 per jin!"(Jin, as a unit of weight commonly used in China, means 500 grams, equivalent to half a kg, so $45 per jin is equivalent to around $9 per kg or $45 for 500g.)
• When I heard this, oh no, it's too expensive! I shook my head and walked away.
• However, the elderly couple shouted after me saying, "Young lady, young lady, what price do you want to pay? "
• Back then, I calculated in my mind that maybe 20 dollars per jin would be sufficient; but another consideration being that it’s a bit more than half the price, they probably wouldn’t agree to it, and just replied, "Don't worry, thank you," and carried on walking.
• They continued shouting trying to persuade me, insisting that I say a price. So I said with all my courage, "Will 20 yuan per jin do?"
• Unexpectedly, they agreed readily! At that time, my heart suddenly sank, feeling a bit regretful. I ought to have said 15 yuan per jin!
• Then that grandma, who was quick-witted, started to bag a whole basket of cherries for me. They weighed 2.6 jing and totaled 52rmb, then she generously offered, "Alright, let it be 50!"
• I didn’t feel too good about spending 50rmb on so many fruits and explained to her, “Not really not really, still a bit too pricey, I don’t need them…”
• The grandma immediately became upset, bombarding me with more questions about how much I wanted to pay. I responded, “How about 40rmb？”
• She kept saying, “No way, no way. Already plenty cheaper than before, how about 48rmb then!”
• I still felt it a little too expensive, but the grandma insisted, leaving me no room to exit. We negotiated and she gradually reduced the price from 45rmb until she agreed to sell the whole basket for 40rmb.

I thought I was quite pleased at the time; I paid nearly the desired price at 15rmb per jin.

️ Cautionary Notes! Be Vigilant During Your Travels! ️

• It turned out that when I arrived back at my accommodation that evening, eating a couple of these cherries, I noticed that one tasted wrong, as if rotten.
• Since it had gotten quite late and I was eager to sleep, I didn't look closely, thinking it might just be a couple of bad ones.
• Crucial Point: The following day when washing the remaining cherries, I discovered only less than half were fresh, the rest had gone bad!
• It finally dawned on me – why the elderly couple had been so persistent in their persuading me into buying these apples! I had stupidly assumed they were worried about selling stale goods the next day, but instead they had been attempting to sell those already rotten fruits! Too cruel!

A Little Travel Tip for Foreign Friends (Travel Tips for Foreign Friends):

• **Bargaining at Street Stalls - In most tourist spots or street vendors in China, haggling is very common. But if vendors appear overly enthusiastic or are willing to drastically reduce prices, be on guard, they might try to offload damaged goods quickly.
• Inspecting Fruit Carefully - Especially when the light is low or poor, make sure to look closely at what you are buying. If possible, insist on picking out each item yourself or asking them to show it in front of you, don’t become blind-sided by false 'enthusiasm! '
• Buying ‘A Basket’ - Sometimes vendors will attempt to sell an entire basket. If you just want to taste or don’t require such generous helpings, stick to purchasing the amount you need.
• Understanding "Jin" (jīn) - Mentioned earlier, “jin” – a widely used weight unit in China – is equivalent to 500g; when negotiating prices, they typically refer to “the price per jin”, meaning the cost for half a kilogram.

I hope my experience helps prevent similar pitfalls for others! Wishing everyone a splendid journey! #AvoidPitfalls #WestLake #Hangzhou #Fruit #StreetStall #Forest #HangzhouBotanicalGarden #TravelTips #Traveling #Cuisine

[Joanne Swift]

Haha, this 'prime spot' – they're always selling either strawberries, cherries, or lotus pods.

[Mr. Otis Schaefer]

It feels like a lot of tourists end up going here.

[Timothy Denesik]

I rarely buy fruit from street stalls; getting short-changed on weight is pretty much a given.

[Guadalupe Barton]

I'm never buying from street stalls again.

[Jermaine Satterfield]

You're right to warn people off this. You really shouldn't buy things from the elderly vendors on the roadside.