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A trendy new cafe that promised a Mediterranean-style seaside view has sparked outrage after a visitor discovered the scene was nothing more than a decorative wall painting.
The cafe, located in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, was visited on 29th July, after a woman saw a viral social media post featuring a lemon tree in full bloom beside three wooden chairs facing a bright blue sea, accompanied by captions like: "Not Italy, It's Qingdao".
But upon arriving, the woman found the "view" was actually a printed mural hanging on an interior wall.
A video shared from the scene shows the large framed image displayed behind three simple wooden chairs, while an artificial lemon tree stands on a terrace nearby, but with no actual seafront in sight.
The disappointed visitor said the post had misled her, failing to clarify the image was not real, and her complaint quickly drew online attention.
Other users accused the cafe of orchestrating a fake photo campaign, noting similar posts using the same image across multiple accounts.
The cafe's owner, identified only as Doudou, denied responsibility and said the post was made independently by a customer.
She said the shop, open for just two weeks, had not paid for or authorised any promotional content, and that the painting was simply a decorative piece.
After receiving a complaint, the cafe offered the customer a free drink and reiterated that official pictures from their own account were unfiltered and showed the actual interior.
The backlash led to accusations of false advertising, although legal expert Fu Jian of Henan Zejin Law Firm said that unless the business itself was involved in creating or promoting the misleading image, it would not be liable.
Doudou has filed a police report over online bullying that she said severely damaged her business operations.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
Byline Journalist: Mike Leidig
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Ivica Stojanovski
Byline Commisioning Editor: Mike Leidig
Byline Senior Writer: Mike Leidig
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Video Editor: David Stojkovic
Byline Copychecker: Emily Wu
Byline Illustrator: Angela Trajkovska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Qingdao
Subject: Art, Food / Drink, Social media
T4 Editor Story Rating: 7
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 7
T4 Total rating: 7
