Chinese social media was flooded with posts recently after a video appeared to show a two-year-old child throwing a used diaper into a hotpot at a restaurant, sparking widespread outrage online.
The video showed the child’s guardians changing the toddler’s diaper inside a dining booth before the diaper was allegedly tossed into the hotpot shared at the table.
Responding to the viral claims on Jan 8, 2026, hotpot chain Haidilao confirmed that the incident occurred on Dec 31, 2025, at one of its outlets in Xuzhou.
Haidilao said it immediately disposed of all affected cookware and reported the incident to the police.
“Local police subsequently dealt with the child’s guardians at the scene in accordance with the law,” the company said in a statement to Jiemian News.
The incident also drew comparisons online to a separate, unrelated case involving improper behaviour at a hotpot restaurant.
According to the Global Times, one of the guardians later issued a public apology, expressing remorse over the incident.
“I will take this as a serious lesson, correct my mistakes, and turn over a new leaf,” the guardian said, apologising to the businesses affected.
