A unique Chinese restaurant allowed its customers to enjoy their afternoon tea a little extra with lion cub cuddles.
According to Reuters, a restaurant in the northern province of Shanxi offered hugs with lion cubs along with tea and food, where customers enjoyed cuddling with cute cubs, sparking criticism from animal welfare groups.
The restaurants only sell 20 tickets every day and allow customers to cuddle with animals for about 1,078 yuan ($150).
Backlash from animal care groups was triggered after some customers of the Wanhui restaurant in Taiyuan city shared pictures and videos of cuddling with lion cubs online on the WeChat and Weibo platforms.
A Weibo user commented on the lion cub cuddling video, “This is for the rich to play.”
“The relevant departments should take care of it,” another user added.
The restaurant, which was opened in June 2025, claimed that specialised carers take care of the lion cubs at the restaurant.
Meanwhile, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Senior Vice President Jason Baker told Reuters, “Tearing lion cubs from their mothers so diners can handle them over afternoon tea is exploitation, not entertainment. These animals are living, feeling beings, not toys.”
China policy expert for Humane World for Animals, Peter Li, also slammed the restaurant, and exploiting wild animals for marketing and selfies is not only bad for animal welfare but also a risk for customers.
Notably, along with lion cubs, Wanhui also has llamas. Turtles and deer and the restaurant often share their pictures on the Douyin page, which is like TikTok in China.
