During the National Day holiday, multiple guests at a well-known hotel in Foshan, Guangdong Province, experienced diarrhea and vomiting after attending a wedding banquet, which raised suspicions of food poisoning. The official report indicated that a “foodborne illness cluster event” occurred at the restaurant, but did not specify the exact type of pathogen or the specific point of contamination.
On the early morning of October 9th, the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Chancheng District in Foshan, Guangdong Province, issued a situation report stating that there were reports from the public recently about feeling unwell after dining at Huakai Palace Banquet Restaurant Management Co., Ltd. in Foshan.
Upon investigation, it was found that the implicated establishment had irregular food processing practices. Currently, pathogenic bacteria have been detected in samples collected from some individuals. Through on-site inspections, epidemiological investigations, and sampling inspections, it was preliminarily determined as a case of foodborne illness cluster event, and the implicated establishment is being investigated.
According to reports from Yangcheng Evening News, recently, residents of Foshan reflected to the newspaper that during the National Day holiday at Huakai Wedding Art Center in Chancheng District of Foshan (operated by Foshan Huakai Palace Banquet Restaurant Management Co., Ltd.), multiple people experienced diarrhea and vomiting after consuming the wedding banquet.
A resident named Yang mentioned that on October 3rd, she and her friends attended a banquet on the third floor of Huakai Wedding Art Center in Foshan and felt unwell the next day, “I vomited seven or eight times, then started to have stomachaches. I went to the hospital for blood tests, and the doctor diagnosed it as acute gastroenteritis.”
Yang claimed that on that day, there were 5 weddings at the hotel, with over 200 people at her event. Three to four people at her table and five individuals at the adjacent table experienced discomfort after eating. She suspected seafood as the culprit, but learned that even elderly individuals who only consumed vegetarian dishes also experienced symptoms.
Another attendee, Mrs. Wu, stated that her family of four attended the wedding, and her husband, child, and mother all fell ill. “The baby vomited, my husband had continuous diarrhea and dizziness, and my mother began experiencing diarrhea around noon, all diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis.”
While seeking treatment at Foshan Second People’s Hospital, Mrs. Wu’s husband learned that the hospital had received around one hundred patients who attended the banquet at the implicated hotel.
On the day of the incident, netizens who attended the dinner at the hotel’s banquet hall posted online stating that several friends and family members suffered varying degrees of diarrhea and vomiting, with more severe cases among the elderly and children.
Following the incident, Yang lodged a complaint with the government hotline. The hotel has not yet provided an explanation for the guests’ illnesses after dining.
Huakai Wedding Art Center is a prominent brand in China’s wedding banquet industry, operating over ten branches in Jiangsu, Anhui, and other areas, with the Foshan Art Center being its flagship store in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, featuring five themed halls such as the Chinese Dragon and Phoenix Hall and the Versailles Palace Hall.
On October 8th, staff from Foshan Municipal Market Supervision Administration Bureau mentioned that the number of those involved was significant on that day. When asked by the media, personnel from the Disease Prevention and Control Center of Chancheng District in Foshan responded that replies should come from relevant department heads. However, as of the time of publication, no response had been received.
On October 9th, Foshan Huakai Palace Banquet Restaurant Management Co., Ltd. released a statement regarding the recent incidents of guests feeling unwell after attending wedding banquets, announcing the temporary suspension of banquet receptions starting from October 7th to conduct comprehensive rectification.
This event has sparked concerns among the public regarding food safety once again.
An article by blogger “Words Around the World” questioned how a meal caused illness in multiple individuals, turning a renowned restaurant in Foshan, Guangdong, into a “poison nest”? According to official reports, this incident is not an isolated case but a “cluster” outbreak, indicating a systemic risk affecting more than just one table. Behind the official reports lies the question of whether it was a chance food contamination or concealed secrets in the kitchen.
The blogger pointed out that the term “foodborne illness” used by officials essentially means “illness from what you ate.” What most consumers care about is whether the restaurant they patronize is safe. This incident serves as a vivid lesson for consumers; choosing restaurants with transparent kitchens and high hygiene ratings is the real “safety net.” Food safety is of utmost importance, and the Foshan incident once again sounds the alarm bells.