• Two teenagers in China ordered to pay over $300,000 for urinating in hotpot dish.
• The incident resulted in compensation for over 4,000 diners affected by the stunt.
• A Shanghai court held the teenagers and their parents responsible for damages.

In a controversial incident, a court in Shanghai has ordered two teenagers to pay 2.2 million yuan (approximately US$308,785) to Haidilao, a prominent hotpot chain, for filming themselves urinating into a hotpot dish during their dining experience. The act occurred on February 24 when the 17-year-olds, surnamed Tang and Wu, recorded the incident in a private room of the restaurant, subsequently posting the video online which went viral, leading to public outrage over food safety issues, according to Channel News Asia, BBC, and South China Morning Post.

The court ruling was delivered on September 12, establishing that the teenagers' actions infringed on the hotpot restaurant's property rights and reputation. The court found that they knowingly created discomfort among patrons and rejected their claims of not understanding the consequences of their actions. Additionally, the parents of the teenagers were held jointly responsible for failing in their guardianship duties, signing them up for the hefty compensation bill, according to Channel News Asia, BBC, and South China Morning Post.

As part of the ruling, the teenagers must cover 130,000 yuan of costs related to tableware damages and cleaning expenses, alongside 2 million yuan for operational and reputational losses that Haidilao incurred after the incident. Their actions forced the restaurant to compensate over 4,000 diners who visited in the days following the prank with full refunds and additional cash, as announced by the restaurant, according to Channel News Asia, BBC, and South China Morning Post.

Moreover, the incident has highlighted significant issues regarding youth behavior and social responsibility in China. The Haidilao restaurant chain, known for its expansive reach and customer-friendly policies, has taken extensive measures to restore its reputation post-incident, including commitments to sanitize the affected restaurant, according to Channel News Asia, BBC, and South China Morning Post.