Driver attacks tourist who refused a ride

An electric bike driver has been detained in Kunming, Yunnan province, after beating up a tourist who turned down his services, according to police.

A female university student, 21, was punched in the face and hit in the head on Thursday after a confrontation with a driver looking for business, the city’s public security bureau said on Sunday.

Police said the two had an altercation after the student refused the driver’s services, and the man, 26, followed her and assaulted her.

According to an online post by the victim, six stitches were needed to treat her head wound.

The incident occurred at Kunming South Bus Station.

The woman said when she left the subway at the bus station, the driver asked whether she needed a ride. She refused and continued walking, but was knocked down by the bike and assaulted, she said.

The police said the driver confessed after he was detained on Friday.

The China National Tourism Administration urged tourism authorities nationwide to crack down on illegal tourism businesses after the incident went viral online. It asked the Yunnan Tourism Development Commission to investigate the incident, and work with other government bodies to take action against illegal activities and to protect tourists’ interests.

The incident quickly made headlines, as it was one of several recent scandals to hit the province’s tourist sector. Also on Thursday, six people were jailed for an attack in Lijiang that occurred on Nov 11. Three people were assaulted and one of them, a tourist, suffered facial injuries.

The Gucheng District People’s Court in Lijiang sentenced one defendant, He Rongsong, to three years and six months in jail for intentional injury and disturbing public order, while the others received one to two years for disturbing public order.

Yunnan is a popular destination for tourists from China and abroad. However, in recent years, a number of cases of tourists being swindled, abused, beaten or forced by tour guides to purchase overpriced commodities at designated stores have been reported in the media.

This year, there were at least three beating incidents involving tourists in Lijiang, according to media reports.

Contact the writers at zhang_yi@ chinadaily.com.cn