Xiaoyangge fined ¥68.9M for selling 'Hong Kong' mooncakes made in Guangzhou

In the run-up to Mid-Autumn Festival 2024, top livestream host Crazy Xiaoyangge (疯狂小杨哥) sold 'Hong Kong Meicheng' mooncakes on his channel, telling viewers they came from 'a big brand that has specialised in premium mooncakes for nearly 20 years'. The products were in fact made in Guangzhou and Foshan, not Hong Kong.

After the misrepresentation was exposed, mooncake sales had briefly passed ¥50 million. Douyin's e-commerce safety centre suspended Three Sheep Network's accounts from September 21. On the evening of September 26 the Hefei joint investigation team announced penalties: confiscation of illegal gains plus fines totalling ¥68.9491 million, and an order to suspend operations pending rectification. Three Sheep issued a public apology.

The brand-side bill: China's best-known livestream empire paid nearly ¥69 million and lost its platform access for one false heritage claim, while customer service promised refund-plus-three for the mooncakes. A trust-based selling machine found that a single misrepresented product converts follower trust into multiplied liability.