Recently, the “Guangdong Betel Nut Millennium Culture Exhibition” scheduled to be held in the Liwan District of Guangzhou sparked controversy due to allegations of promoting a Class I carcinogen. The exhibition, after being questioned by netizens during the setup phase, was subsequently suspended and the exhibition installations have been dismantled.
According to a report on May 28 in the “Yangcheng Evening News,” the “Guangdong Betel Nut Millennium Culture Exhibition” was originally planned to be held at the Yangtao Plaza in the 1906 Science and Technology Park in Liwan District, Guangzhou, with the opening scheduled for the end of the month. During the construction of the exhibition, some netizens on social media raised questions: “Isn’t betel nut a Class I carcinogen?” “Is this something worth promoting?”
On the afternoon of May 27, all related exhibition installations on Yangtao Plaza had been completely cleared. Surrounding merchants stated that the exhibition construction began last weekend and took about three days to set up the tents, followed by dismantling, with everything cleaned up by the morning of the 27th. Another merchant mentioned that on May 25, staff were still setting up yellow exhibition installations, but the words “Guangdong Betel Nut” on the surrounding panels had already been covered up.
The exhibition was organized by Hainan Hecan World Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. From January 21 to March 5, the company also held the “Guangdong Betel Nut Millennium Culture Exhibition” simultaneously at the Zhengjia Plaza in Guangzhou and the Jinfu Plaza in Jinping, Shantou.
Reports indicated that the exhibition was described as an immersive gallery focusing on the cultural context of Guangdong’s betel nut, including its medicinal value, ceremonial significance, and the historical origins of betel nut in Guangzhou. During the exhibition, the organizers also offered limited edition betel nut gift boxes.
The Liwan District Market Supervision Administration of Guangzhou responded on May 26 that they had not received any relevant procedures for this event at Yangtao Plaza. After being questioned by netizens during the construction period, the local street office and relevant departments only intervened and the event was subsequently suspended and canceled on May 25.
The health risks of betel nuts have long been a concern. As early as 2003, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, classified betel nuts as a Class I carcinogen, along with tobacco, alcohol, and other carcinogens.
Chinese media reports also mentioned that since 2021, Guangzhou has completely banned betel nut advertisements and cracked down on illegal betel nut advertisements. The withdrawal of the betel nut cultural exhibition following the controversy once again raises concerns among the public regarding betel nut commercial promotion and public health risks.