Hangzhou's Hefang Street: Beware the 'Stringy' Fruit Salad Trap!

[Sally Breitenberg]

Sigh, originally I was in a good mood traveling to Hangzhou, but then...

I bought something called "Fruit Pudding" (shuǐguǒ lāo) – it consists of freshly-cut fruits, sometimes mixed with yogurt or sweet sauce.

But the bowl of fruit pudding I got contained almost entirely yogurt! Only a tiny amount of fruit; honestly, is this how you run a business? I'm so angry about this

For a bowl of what can only be described as “Yogurt Soup”, they charged me an astonishing 40 RMB (about 5-6 USD)! This is clearly a scam targeting tourists who are visiting here.

I was just taking a stroll after lunch, looking for something light like fresh fruit, but now, things turned out so differently. They cannot sell things this way!

Standing outside their shop, I angrily mumbled to myself, but the shop owner said nothing and stood there silently, acting as if he/she didn't notice the problem he/she's causing.

WARNING FOR VISITORS OF HANGZHOU

• Be careful about this store!
  • Location: It’s right across from Hangzhou “The Heart of Handicrafts Market” with a business named ‘Spring Wind Ten Miles’ nearby, and three to four shops away. This area falls within the scope of Qinghe Street/Hefang Street scenic area – a famous old street in Hangzhou which attracts lots of tourists. Therefore, tourists need to be cautious while purchasing souvenirs here.
  • Problematic Product (The Issue): What they sell is called "Tearable Fruit Pudding" (lāsī shuǐguǒ lāo), it sounds special, but what I actually got was basically yogurt with only a small amount of fruit diced inside.
• How to Avoid:
  • If possible, observe how others' purchased products look like before buying these kind of items in a scenic spot, especially those prepared on-site
  • Ask clearly: do you use more fruit or more yogurt,
  • Refuse to buy if the price is way too high or the vendor is unclear about the product.

In summary, I would never go back to this shop again! #fruit-pudding #hangzhou #traveling-hangzhou-rant #scammestore #blacklist-of-hefang-street

[Sally Breitenberg]

When I travel to any city, I never buy anything from the local 'antique-style' streets. Looking around is fine, but I definitely won't make any purchases.

[Miss Angela Cormier]

I just wanted to grab a bite, but there's no excuse for ripping off tourists like this!

[Misty Anderson DDS]

My advice for Hefang Street: just look around at all the little shops, don't buy anything. Consider this a heads-up to avoid getting ripped off.

[Misty Anderson DDS]

It's genuinely terrible. I've tried it myself, so I know.