Lijiang authority calls on Xiaohongshu to tighten review oversight

A local tourism authority in Lijiang, Yunnan province, has urged lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu to strengthen oversight of negative review posts related to wedding photography businesses, triggering heated online debate.

In a public letter released Tuesday, the cultural and tourism bureau of Lijiang's Gucheng district called on Xiaohongshu to tighten monitoring and regulation of consumer complaint posts targeting local wedding photography companies.

The bureau accused the platform of failing to properly manage false negative content, saying some users post fabricated complaints to pressure businesses into issuing refunds even when companies are not at fault.

Such negligence has made it difficult for businesses to appeal against disputed posts, causing reputational damage and widespread order cancellations, the bureau said.

An investigation by the Gucheng district wedding photography industry association found that, as of December, allegedly false cautionary posts had led to order cancellations worth more than 1 million yuan ($142,716), with indirect losses exceeding 5 million yuan.

According to Jiupai News, a third-party source close to Xiaohongshu said there is currently no evidence that consumers fabricated personal experiences in their posts. The source said further investigation and review would continue as more information becomes available.

On Wednesday, Yu Tao, supervisory board chairman of the Gucheng district wedding photography industry association, told Jiupai News that Xiaohongshu had set up a group chat with local photography businesses and proposed verifying negative consumer reviews on a case-by-case basis.

However, the association and local companies said the proposal would not compensate for losses already incurred and showed a lack of sincerity. They rejected the plan and said they would pursue legal action.

Lijiang has become a popular destination for newlyweds to hold weddings and take wedding photos, thanks to its snow-capped mountains and clear blue lakes.

In 2024, about 100,000 couples traveled to the city for wedding photo shoots. By last December, the Old Town of Lijiang had more than 600 wedding photography businesses, with a market size exceeding 1 billion yuan, ranking first in Yunnan, according to the Gucheng district cultural and tourism bureau.

"The Gucheng district is committed to developing itself into a premier destination for weddings and travel photography," said Li Guozhang, director of the bureau.

However, negative consumer reviews and warning posts about wedding photography services are widespread on Xiaohongshu, with users complaining about high prices, poor photography skills and unsatisfactory after-sales service.

In November, a netizen from Shandong said a local wedding photography business failed to provide post-shoot services and used artificial intelligence to edit photos instead of real photographers. The user also complained of rude behavior during negotiations.

The industry association said some negative reviews were fabricated. In some cases, consumers who had signed documents certifying satisfaction with the shoot, makeup and final photos later demanded full refunds, threatening to post negative reviews if compensation was not provided. Others, without reasonable grounds, followed suit after seeing similar refund demands succeed, Yu said.

Xiaohongshu encourages genuine and honest experience sharing and continues to address fabricated personal experiences and exaggerated content, a platform customer service agent said Wednesday. The agent said the platform provides multiple public channels for businesses to report disputes and submit evidence, and that verified violations will be handled promptly.