In the backdrop of China’s ongoing economic downturn and weakened consumer confidence, a small noodle shop in Shanghai unexpectedly gained popularity by offering a stark combination of “3 yuan for a bowl of simple noodles, 48 yuan for a glass of Fenjiu maotai”, attracting many migrant workers and university students to “check in” and becoming a hot topic on social media. Observers pointed out that the phenomenon of “noodle shop serving maotai” reflects the complex emotions and symbolic resistance of urban youth facing life pressures and limited social mobility.
This week, a video posted by the Bilibili content creator “Stolen Month Society Food Encounters” with over 8 million followers quickly spread across the internet. The video recorded the menu offerings of a small noodle shop named “Tang Wan Restaurant” in Minhang District, Shanghai: 3 yuan for a bowl of simple noodles, 1 yuan for a boiled egg, 5 yuan for scallion noodles, 4 yuan for unlimited refills of Americano coffee, and 48 yuan for a glass of Fenjiu maotai (10 ml), along with Wuliangye and Jiannanchun at 24 yuan and 12 yuan per glass respectively.
According to mainland media “Red Star Capital Bureau”, the shop owner Mr. Huang confirmed the authenticity of Fenjiu maotai and stated, “The whole bottle is too expensive, so selling by the glass allows everyone to have a taste within their budget.” He admitted that this pairing is essentially a form of emotional release, saying, “You can have maotai with a 3 yuan bowl of noodles, it’s a kind of declaration.”
A senior student at a university in Zhejiang, Song Shuang (pseudonym), interviewed by Epoch Times on the 25th, expressed that this pricing contrast breaks through the high threshold of luxury goods and satisfies the curiosity of ordinary people towards maotai. She said, “With high housing prices and cost of living pressures, having a sip of maotai has become a symbolic ‘social elevation,’ although it doesn’t change the reality of daily life.”
She added that the reality of not being able to afford a full bottle of maotai leads people to seek psychological satisfaction in “having a taste,” as a way to release tension and engage in self-deprecation.
After the video went viral, the foot traffic at the small shop drastically increased. It was reported that the number of customers doubled within a few days, with some even flying in from Shenzhen specifically to “check in,” eat a bowl of noodles, have a sip of maotai, and then immediately return.
A sociologist at a university in Beijing, Su Yi (pseudonym), pointed out in an interview that this phenomenon reflects the consumption anxiety of young urban Chinese. He told Epoch Times, “Many people can’t afford a full bottle of maotai, but having a taste makes them feel a part of the good life. It’s a form of ‘spiritual self-rescue’ to seek symbolic dignity within affordability.”
Su Yi analyzed that behind this mismatched consumption is a psychological compensation mechanism resulting from stagnant social mobility. He stated, “Today’s Chinese young people are increasingly aware that the upward mobility channels are being blocked by the system, so they can only simulate a sense of ‘ascension’ through consumption behavior to gain psychological comfort.”
According to a local Shanghai public account “Today in Minhang,” regular customers at Tang Wan Restaurant include food delivery drivers, courier workers, security guards, cleaners, as well as student groups from East China Normal University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Shop owner Mr. Huang stated that the dining section is barely profitable and is sustained by printing services, saying, “We sell a cup of maotai every few days, and when there are no orders, I drink it myself.”
Records show that Tang Wan Restaurant first opened in 2019, temporarily closed for family reasons, and reopened at the end of 2024. Mr. Huang had positioned the shop as a “community laboratory” and a “training classroom,” aiming to provide a space for customers and employees to communicate and learn skills.
However, the recent surge in popularity has challenged the shop’s original concept of serving the lower class. Reports indicate that the customer base, originally dominated by laborers, is gradually being replaced by tourists and those seeking photo opportunities.
Huang Min (pseudonym), a former lecturer at a university in Zhejiang, pointed out that despite the shop advocating for concepts like “community laboratory” and “shared space,” it has been engulfed by the wave of consumerism. She told an Epoch Times reporter, “The noodle shop overnight became a landmark for online fame, but the inflow didn’t bring long-term support; instead, it created short-term restless customers and unstable operational pressure.”
She further expressed that many spaces in China that integrate public welfare and business ultimately face challenges either due to censorship or bending to the demands of consumer traffic, saying, “The story of ‘laborers drinking maotai’ may seem heartwarming but often ends up as material for short video platforms. The sustainability of such experimental spaces is often short-lived.”
A netizen commented, “The real luxury isn’t maotai, but rather the fairness of society and the dignity of people.”