A sensational incident involving an extravagant dining bill at the Peace Hotel in Shanghai has captured widespread attention. This event, which unfolded recently, revolves around a shocking invoice amounting to 517,127 yuan (approximately 51,700 USD) for a meal that served six individuals. On November 13, new developments came to light regarding this controversial bill.
The saga began on November 8 when a receipt purportedly from the Peace Hotel began circulating rapidly on social media platforms. This receipt indicated that on the evening of November 3, a group of six people dined at the establishment, ordering nine dishes and three beverages, leading to the staggering total of 517,127.6 yuan. According to the now-viral receipt, the priciest item on the menu was listed at 1,288 yuan, while two bottles of wine—identified as ‘1997 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’—were priced at 230,000 yuan each, cumulatively amounting to 460,000 yuan. Furthermore, the bill included an additional service charge that exceeded 47,000 yuan.
As the receipt rapidly spread online, mixed reactions ensued, with many users expressing disbelief over the astronomical charges for a single meal.
However, skepticism about the authenticity of the bill soon emerged. A report from the Southern Metropolis Daily on November 10 highlighted that the English representation of the hotel on the receipt was incorrectly stated as “PEACE HOTEL SHANGHAI,” contrary to the hotel’s official name, “Fairmont Peace Hotel.”
Following this, the Beijing News reported discrepancies relating to the prices of the beverages, the subtotals for the dishes, and the total amount, which did not appear to align correctly. Additionally, the percentage for the service fee diverged from the hotel’s established standards.
On November 8 and 9, media outlets attempted to verify the claims by contacting the Peace Hotel. Staff members emphatically stated that the exorbitantly priced receipt circulating online was fabricated, categorizing it as a fictional creation by internet users. The hotel declared its intention to delegate the investigation to its public relations department.
On November 10, personnel from the hotel’s Long Feng Hall reiterated to the Southern Metropolis Daily that the receipt in question was indeed fake, confirming that the hotel had initiated an investigation into the matter.
As the investigation progressed, on November 11, Jiemian News reached out to the hotel’s public relations department to inquire about updates. Staff conveyed that inquiries were ongoing but did not confirm whether the receipt was definitively proven to be a forgery, inviting the public to form their own conclusions.
By November 13, the Huangpu branch of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau released a statement revealing that investigations had traced the source of the fabricated receipt to an online liquor sales company located outside of Shanghai. The company’s owner, identified as Zhao, alongside associates Wang, Dong, and others, allegedly sought to garner media attention and boost sales by utilizing AI software to alter the bill’s figures and replace the luxury wines on the original invoice with products sold by their company.
The false information disseminated by this group went viral online, significantly amplifying the controversy surrounding the alleged dining bill.
Authorities have since apprehended 15 individuals connected to the case. However, the police report did not disclose the specific name of the implicated liquor sales company, its location, or the full identities of those involved.
The Peace Hotel stands as a renowned establishment within the historic Bund area of Shanghai, originally known as the Huamao Hotel, and was completed in 1929. It has historically been referred to as the “First Building of the Far East,” drawing visitors from all around the world to its storied halls.