For some time, the women’s restroom at the popular Chengdu influencer hotspot “Sunset Sweet Tea・Lily Island” has been found to have hidden pinhole cameras, which were used to secretly record videos that were then publicly circulated and sold, sparking widespread concern online.
Recently, a female blogger released a statement claiming that she was secretly filmed by a pinhole camera installed in the restroom of a beverage shop in Jinniu District, Chengdu.
According to a report by the “China News Weekly” on May 25, the shop in question is the well-known Chengdu influencer spot “Sunset Sweet Tea・Lily Island,” where the incidents of voyeurism occurred between November 2025 and January of this year. In February, when victims discovered the unauthorized recordings, the authorities were promptly alerted. Currently, the suspect has been apprehended by the police, and the case is under investigation.
Even though the matter seemed to have been concluded, in early May, the voyeuristic videos captured at “Sunset Sweet Tea・Lily Island” resurfaced for public dissemination and sale. At the same time, several female victims of the secret recordings continue to face sustained online harassment. They have reported the incidents to the authorities and will pursue collective legal action.
The operators of “Sunset Sweet Tea・Lily Island” stated that, as the investigation is ongoing, they could not disclose specific details. They also mentioned that their establishment fell victim to the illegal installation of pinhole cameras and stated, “We have reported to the police and taken necessary actions. We hope the focus will be on the criminals and the societal issue of voyeurism.”
On May 25, the topic labeled “Pinhole Cameras Found in Women’s Restroom at Influencer Hotspot” surged to the top of hot searches on Weibo.
A prominent Weibo user, “Yanbo Ren Chang’an,” commented, “They arrested the suspect in April, but in May, the videos began circulating and being sold again. There are even provocations directed towards the victims. From filming to sharing to viewing, no one along this chain is innocent, and it’s clear that many don’t see a problem with it. Harsher penalties are needed.”
Emotional blogger “Tian Zaotao T” expressed in a post, “Voyeurism has become a profitable black industry, seriously trampling on personal privacy and dignity. The responsibility for premises security lies with the store and cannot simply be shifted to the victims. It’s necessary to increase their responsibility. We hope the case is thoroughly investigated, cutting off the black industry chain, and safeguarding public and private safety.”
Weibo influencer “You Di” remarked, “This isn’t just the despicable behavior of a few criminals but also reflects the rampant nature of the voyeuristic black market chain. Driven by traffic and profit, women’s privacy and dignity are blatantly violated. We cannot tolerate the notion of ‘blaming the victims’ and should not normalize such invasive privacy violations. It’s crucial to sever the black profit chain of voyeurism, from filming to sharing to selling, employing stricter legal sanctions and improved safety monitoring to provide the public with a safe and dignified public space.”