bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Fran Lu

A Shanghai restaurant which sold a half chicken dish costing a shocking 480 yuan (US$66) has justified the price by saying the bird was raised on music and milk, sparking sarcastic comments online.
Four million people watched footage a customer of the Shanghai Club restaurant posted online March 14.
In the video, a man remarks on a tiny-looking chicken dish on a plate, priced at 480 yuan (US$66).
The businessman and influencer with 270,000 followers, was apparently shocked at the price, and checked with the restaurant staff if the chicken was raised “listening to music and drinking milk”.

The staff said that the chicken was raised in the manner he described and was a rare breed known as “sunflower chicken” only kept at a farm in southern China’s Guangdong province.
According to the chicken farm’s online introduction, the sunflower chicken is raised by being fed juice extracted from sunflower stems and faded flower heads in the farm, which is also a commercial sunflower garden.
The three-yellow chicken, also known as emperor chicken, is a popular breed among Michelin-starred chefs.
It is named after the breed’s yellow beaks, skin and feet, and known for its succulent taste and tender texture when cooked whole.

It was reported that the sunflower chicken is even more expensive, and priced at more than 200 yuan (US$28) per kilogram. A whole sunflower chicken can be priced at more than 1,000 yuan (US$140) at restaurants.
A member of staff at the sunflower chicken farm told the mainland media outlet Jimu News that the chickens do listen to classical music, but they are not fed with milk.
The man told the waiting staff that he could accept paying 480 yuan for half a chicken, but could not accept them making up stories to deceive him.
The story sparked sarcastic comments online.
“Amazing the bizarre stories one can make up to sell products,” said one online observer.
“One can grab a small share of a dish from less-developed areas in China, and easily sell to Shanghai people at a much higher price,” said another.
“Can my chicken be priced at 1,888 yuan (US$260) a dish? They were raised listening to Shanxi music,” another person from central China’s Shanxi province said.

Some joked that the chicken reflected “Shanghai currency”, a term that went viral last year referring to sky-high prices and people’s spending power in the city.
A famous example came when Shanghai people queued up for an 800g loaf of toast from Japan, which sold for 98 yuan (US$14) and was limited to 400 pieces a day. The same product was sold at half the price in Japan.
Ordinary toasted bread is sold for around 20 yuan (US$3) in supermarkets. Many frowned upon the popularity of such a product.
According to government data, Shanghai residents’ per capita disposable income in 2024 was 88,366 yuan (US$12,200), double that of nationwide.


China US$332,000 breast implants with cattle DNA leave woman severly disabled

Outrage as boy urinates in glass at China eatery, mum says ‘he could not hold it’

Tearful Wu Yanni’s 60m hurdles failure at World Champs sparks furious social media debate

Chinese woman dies in hospital plunge after tooth extraction blunder causes ‘immense’ pain

Trending in China

China restaurant sells half chicken ‘raised on music, milk’ for US$66, triggers online taunts

A restaurant in China has sparked sarcasm online after it claimed that an expensive chicken dish is costly because the birds used are raised listening to music and drinking milk. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Jimu


The chickens used are raised on a farm which specialises in the distinctive flower. Photo: ctdsb.net

The cost of a dish which uses a whole chicken can reach as much as US$140. Photo: ctdsb.net

Online observers said that the price reflected the term “Shanghai currency”, which is used to describe the high prices paid in restaurants, like the one above, in the city . Photo: Shutterstock 

Chinese pet cloning charges up to US$52,000, raises ethical and health concerns

The animal cloning industry in China is booming as more and more people become firmly attached to their pets. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Growing numbers of pet lovers want to recreate their beloved pets. Photo: Baidu

After an uncertain start, China’s pet cloning industry has matured. Photo: Baidu

Cloning a “fur baby” can cost as much as US$52,000 per animal. Photo: Baidu

Cat-astrophe? Some animal rights campaigners have expressed concerns over cloning. Photo: Baidu

Chinese woman seeks US$6,800 for chores, divorce court awards 5 times that, sparks delight

A divorce court in China has awarded a woman five times as much as the US$6,800 she initially sought for all the household chores she did while with her ex-husband. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

The woman told the court that she had scrubbed and cleaned for the family for years. Photo: Shutterstock

A judge in the family court had to explain to the ex-husband that housework had inherent value. Photo: AP

Ex-China security guard becomes lawyer after 10 years auditing courses at Peking University

A hard-working ex-security guard in China has realised his dream of becoming lawyer after years of study at a top university. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/QQ.com

Ex-security guard Liu Zheng finally realised his dream at the prestigious Peking University. Photo: Peking University

Liu struggled at first while at Peking University, but found his feet through sheer determination. Photo: Shutterstock

This 39-year-old grandma shocks China social media in viral video feeding infant grandson

A 39-year-old grandmother has shocked mainland social media with her youthful looks in a viral video of her feeding her infant grandson. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

The 39-year-old grandmother feeds her baby grandson and becomes an instant online hit. Photo: Weibo

Singapore online influencer Shirli Ling became a grandmother at the age of 34. Photo: Instagram/shirli_ling

Millions praise China kindergarten guard for waltzing with girl upset by late arriving mum

A kindergarten security guard in China has wowed millions of people online after he waltzed with a little girl who was upset because her mother was late in picking her up. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Children at the kindergarten love Liu, and many of them regularly give him snacks. Photo: Douyin

Liu trips the light fantastically as some adoring kindergarten children look on. Photo: Douyin

News

People & Culture

Eatery says succulent ‘sunflower chicken’ which is popular with Michelin-starred chefs is made from birds raised ‘listening to classical music’


Eatery says succulent ‘sunflower chicken’ which is popular with Michelin-starred chefs is made from birds raised ‘listening to classical music’.


Shanghai

Chinese cuisine