The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2024
Livestreamer 'Dongbei Yujie' sold 126K bags of fake sweet potato vermicelli — fined ¥1.65M
Sold 126,000 bags of 'sweet potato vermicelli' that was all cassava. Fined ¥1.65M, suspended 30 days, lost millions of followers.
Dongbei Yujie · Yujie Media · 2024-10
What happened
Dongbei Yujie (东北雨姐) was one of China's most popular livestreamers, known for a rustic 'farm girl' persona on Douyin that attracted tens of millions of followers. Her single-session sales often exceeded ¥10 million, built on the trust that her rural credibility implied.
In September 2024, a consumer-rights activist publicly challenged her vermicelli product, claiming the 'sweet potato vermicelli' (红薯粉条) she sold contained no sweet potato. Tests confirmed the product was pure cassava (木薯) — a cheaper starch — despite the label listing only sweet potato starch. The factory had sold 126,000 bags yielding ¥890,000 in illegal revenue.
The market regulator fined Yujie Media ¥1.65 million for false advertising, suspended its livestream operations for 30 days, and required a full rectification of its quality control process. The supplier, Chaoyang Liuhe Vermicelli, was fined ¥6.72 million, ordered to stop production, and later had its assets seized by the court.
Dongbei Yujie lost nearly 2 million followers in a month. Her social media accounts were restricted. The case was cited by the State Council Information Office in 2025 as a landmark example of livestream e-commerce enforcement.
Why it happened
- The product was sold on the livestreamer's personal credibility — when the vermicelli proved fake, the trust collapsed instantly, not incrementally.
- The farm persona created an implicit guarantee of authenticity that the product could not meet, turning a mislabeled ingredient into a betrayal of identity.
- Livestream commerce moves inventory at a scale that outpaces any quality control — 126,000 bags were sold before anyone tested the product.
- The denial-and-defend response after the exposure amplified the damage, as the livestreamer's team initially dismissed the claims before the official test results proved them wrong.
The lesson
Livestream credibility is built on trust — one proven deception costs the audience, not just the sale.
Aftermath
The supplier, Chaoyang Liuhe Vermicelli, was forced to stop production and later had ¥6.72 million in assets seized by court enforcement. Dongbei Yujie's accounts were restricted and her streaming career effectively ended. The case was highlighted by the State Council in 2025 as a precedent for livestream commerce regulation.
Sources
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