A tourist in China has complained to the police after a business owner called her a “poor ghost” after she asked about prices and tried to leave without buying anything.

On February 25, in Xiamen, a city in the southeastern coastal province of Fujian, the woman traveller and her partner visited a pearl shop and asked how much an item of jewellery cost, then turned to leave.

The shop owner mocked her, saying: “Poor ghost can’t afford it, but still asked the price,” Houlang Video reported.

The woman said she heard the owner insult her, and decided to confront him.

In a trending video online, the woman is seen asking: “Did you just insult me? Do you think I am an idiot? Did you call me a ‘poor ghost’?”

“If you can’t afford it, aren’t you a ‘poor ghost’? Why did you even come in?” the owner rudely responds.

As the dispute escalated, the visitor called the police, who arrived and tried to diffuse the situation.

Police and market officials have criticised the business owner and told him how his behaviour was unacceptable. He later acknowledged his mistake and apologised.

“I’m sorry, I was actually troubled by family matters that day. I truly apologise,” he said to the visitor, who accepted his apology.

The authorities have told the owner to temporarily close the shop and reflect on his actions.

The video of the incident had attracted around 75,000 likes and more than 13,000 comments at the time of writing, with many condemning the business owner’s behaviour.

“Ah, you should have told him, ‘you’re in fact a poor ghost because you are trying to make money here’,” one person said.

“Please share the location of the shop, so we ‘poor ghosts’ can avoid it, and let the shop owner welcome only the wealthy,” said another.

“This is the attitude you get in some tourist cities. If you buy, you’re a god, if you don’t, you’re a poor ghost,” said a third.

News of tourists being insulted after refusing to buy expensive goods while travelling is not uncommon in China.

In June 2023, a tour guide in the southwestern province of Yunnan berated tourists who did not shop, saying: “Your conscience was eaten by dogs.” It resulted in her license being revoked.

Last April, an elderly man travelling with a group, also in Yunnan, was insulted for not buying anything by a tour guide who called him an “old rascal.”