Quan Yi Fong Says Xinjiang Tour Guide Pressured Group to Shop Despite No-Shopping Promise

Singaporean host and actress Quan Yi Fong says a 10-day trip to Xinjiang left her disappointed after a tour guide allegedly pushed members of her group to spend money. In Instagram and Facebook posts on Nov. 1, she described shopping stops and other conditions that, she said, did not match what had been promised when she booked the tour. Quan said she joined a local group because Xinjiang is vast and difficult to explore on her own. She said the contract assured travellers there would be no forced shopping or hidden charges. But, according to her account, the group was taken out early on two consecutive mornings to shop for long-staple cotton goods and visit two Hetian jade shops. She said some items cost at least 2,000 yuan, or about S$380. The host alleged that people who declined to buy anything were mocked or scolded by the guide on the bus. She said she eventually purchased a piece of Hetian jade, cotton and camel-wool blankets, and around six months’ worth of camel milk. Quan added that in another part of China she might have walked away or reported the matter, but the remoteness of the area led her to endure the situation. She also questioned whether the tour delivered what had been advertised. The group had reportedly been promised a luxury six-seat minivan, but a 20-seat bus arrived instead. Quan said she shared screenshots of conversations with the tour company alongside her account. Long stretches of driving brought another problem: she said there were too few opportunities to use the toilet. Stops were restricted on some expressways, while facilities at rest areas could involve long waits and unpleasant conditions, she wrote. Quan said some travellers resorted to plastic bottles, and she limited how much water she drank to avoid needing a stop. Although she regretted missing northern Xinjiang, Quan said the experience in the south had made her reconsider whether she would return for another trip.