On June 23rd, in Huaying Experimental School in Fushun County, Zigong City, Sichuan province, hundreds of parents surrounded the school to protest against the discovery of spoiled meat and rotten vegetables in the cafeteria. On June 24th and 25th, a large number of parents gathered in front of the county government and Fukang Square to demand answers, as they were dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the situation.
A parent of a student at the school, Ms. Li, revealed to reporters that some students had complained of stomach aches in the past few days. Some parents suspected issues with the school lunches and kept vigil outside the school cafeteria. On the morning of June 23rd, they discovered during a food delivery that there were spoiled ribs, lymphatic pork, and rotten pea pods. Additionally, two parents found rotten beans in the delivery truck.
The news spread among parents, leading to hundreds of them gathering outside the school to demand accountability. Despite the school’s claims that the cafeteria was outsourced and not their responsibility, many parents remained skeptical. “Do you believe them? They must be finding someone to take the blame now,” Ms. Li said.
Ms. Li mentioned that her son often complained of stomach aches, and she never suspected it was due to the school meals. She always thought it was because he had eaten too many snacks, not realizing the problem lay with the school food.
After the incident, when Ms. Li messaged the homeroom teacher, she was forbidden from sharing the information. She expressed her frustration, saying, “Many children have been complaining of stomach pains for a long time. After school, my son acts like he hasn’t eaten for days. We pay five to six hundred yuan for meals per month, and they dare to compromise on this issue. It’s despicable. The school claims that teachers and the principal eat the same food, but no one believes it.”
On June 23rd, the Education and Sports Bureau of Fushun County issued a notice confirming the parent’s concerns about the quality of food materials supplied to the school cafeteria. They claimed to have stored the materials in question and sent them for testing at the Zigong Inspection Testing Institute.
Subsequently, on June 24th, a large group of parents gathered in front of the county government to demand answers, chanting slogans with police guards present. Due to parental insistence, the joint investigation team of Zigong City Fushun County issued a situation report that the school had signed a food delivery contract in August 2024 with Kunpeng Commercial Transport Company. The pork and pork loin delivered on June 23rd to the school originated from two suppliers, Sichuan Shunkang Food Processing Co., Ltd. and Fushun Ancient Fresh Meat Distribution Center. The pork loin from the Ancient Distribution Center was ordered from an unlicensed operator, Zhao, who transported it in a warehouse-style truck without refrigeration to the distribution center, and then to the school.
The official notice mentioned that all school contracts with Kunpeng Commercial Transport Company have been suspended, and investigations, including suspensions and inspections, have been initiated against the responsible individuals in the Huaying Experimental School, the Education and Sports Bureau, and the Market Supervision Bureau of the county.
However, the report also stated that samples of the pork loin, lean pork, and fatty pork, flagged by parents, were tested at Sichuan Food Inspection Research Institute and Zigong Inspection and Testing Institute. The results did not exceed the national standards for volatile basic nitrogen indicators (a measure of food freshness).
Despite this response, parents and netizens were not satisfied, viewing the official actions as mere lip service. On June 25th, a significant number of parents continued to gather at the school and Fukang Square to seek answers.
Some parents captured photos of Kunpeng Company’s delivery truck on June 25th still making deliveries to the school, questioning the company’s powerful connections. They posted these pictures online, with netizens mocking the temporary suspension, saying it was just for a day. Some speculated that the company hadn’t even had time to change the name on the truck yet – learning from this incident to avoid future occurrences.
Parents also disclosed that on the night of June 24th at 10 p.m., county officials with a group of people visited concerned parents and warned them not to cause trouble.
Another parent, Zhang Lei (alias) from a different school (name withheld for safety reasons), revealed that he is in the pork business and mentioned that within the industry, it is widely known that Kunpeng Company monopolizes all school cafeterias in the county. He stated, “The company has strong backgrounds and relationships; supplying pork to schools is not something an ordinary person can do. You need connections and arrangements. People like us common folk can’t even get involved.”
Zhang pointed out that operating school cafeterias is lucrative, attracting many to pursue this “piece of fat.” He believed that this incident involved high-ranking officials and an undisclosed chain of interests. He speculated that this issue is likely to be swept under the rug, leaving parents to advise their children to avoid eating meat at school. He emphasized the continuous cautionary advice he gives his child not to consume meat at school.
Information revealed that Kunpeng Commercial Operating Management Co., Ltd. was established on January 31st, 2023, with Gong Jin as the legal representative. Its operations include comprehensive commercial services, food sales (only pre-packaged food), wholesale and retail of fresh meat, wholesale and retail of edible agricultural products, food delivery services, among others.
Netizens found that the company’s chairman is Huang Yi, the legal representative is Gong Jin, the major shareholder is Fushun Kunpeng Education and Sports Development Co., the second shareholder is Sichuan Shunkang Food Processing Co., Ltd., with Fushun Kunpeng Education and Sports Development Co. being fully owned by Fushun County Finance Bureau (Fushun County State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Bureau) holding 100% of shares. Netizens commented marveling at the company’s strength, as they serve as both athletes and referees.
Some netizens claimed the company was owned by the wife of the deputy county head, but this information remains unverified.
Efforts by reporters to reach out to Huaying Experimental School and local county and city governments via phone were unsuccessful.
Former Sichuan Conservatory of Music student and mainland music teacher Geng Lutao told reporters that he experienced similar issues ten years ago while studying at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music.
The school, one of the national key art schools, charged tuition fees twice as high as regular schools, yet frequently served meals with insects, maggots, and even cockroaches, nauseating students. What struck him the most was the double standard — teachers and students ate at separate cafeterias with vastly different food quality. While teachers enjoyed clean, delicious meals in the “teacher’s cafeteria” on the second floor, students were forced to consume low-quality, disgusting food on the first floor, which even led to stomach issues. Such double standards reflect systemic corruption and callousness.
He remarked that a decade later, from the cafeteria discrepancies for college students to the recent incident of spoiled and diseased meat for elementary school students, the profit-oriented nature of the entire education system remains unchanged. Under the Chinese Communist Party system, a chain of interests has formed among schools, logistics, and suppliers, at the expense of the health of future generations. As long as this regime persists, education chaos, food safety issues, and the bureaucratic system’s deception will not be eradicated.
He likened the situation to spotting a cockroach at home, signifying that the wall crevices are likely infested with bugs. As long as this corrupt root of the CCP exists, all education anomalies, food safety problems, and the bureaucratic system’s deceit won’t be truly eliminated. This regime prioritizes money and interests over children’s lives, health, and dignity.