A mainland Chinese tourist took to social media platform Xiaohongshu to share what she called a "painful lesson" after customs officials confiscated her Hong Kong-purchased seafood snacks during a recent border crossing.
The woman, who attempted to enter mainland China on March 8, described how inspectors identified her packages of "grilled scallop skirt" and "wasabi octopus strips" as prohibited items before destroying them.
The frustrated tourist detailed an intimidating inspection process that involved having her name called out, phone temporarily confiscated, and being required to wait in line for examination. "Today I learned the hard way that seafood products absolutely cannot be brought across the border," she wrote in her viral post, which has sparked widespread discussion among mainland netizens. Many expressed surprise at the restrictions, with comments like "I never knew this" and "I used to buy these all the time" flooding the thread.
More knowledgeable users explained that the Mainland maintains strict quarantine rules prohibiting all seafood imports regardless of whether they are raw or cooked. Several shared similar experiences of having food items confiscated, including one who recalled customs seizing sausages and another who witnessed a single banana being taken away.
The incident highlights a common knowledge gap among travelers unaware of the mainland's comprehensive prohibited items list, which aims to prevent the introduction of pests and diseases. The Catalogue of Animals and Plants, and Animal and Plant Products Prohibited from being Carried or Posted into the People's Republic of China bans various foodstuffs, with seafood being a frequently overlooked category. As cross-boundary travel continues to rebound post-pandemic, authorities appear to be enforcing these regulations more stringently than during previous years.
Customs officials recommend that travelers thoroughly review the latest prohibited items before attempting to bring any food products across the border. The confiscated tourist concluded her post with a warning to others: "Friends coming to Hong Kong to shop, don't just buy everything you see without thinking!" Her experience serves as a cautionary tale for those planning shopping trips to Hong Kong, particularly with the summer travel season approaching.
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