Trend of tourists 'stealing sugarcane', garden owners chasing in China

A sugarcane garden in China has suddenly become a national check-in point thanks to a unique model: visitors pay to "steal" themselves, while the garden owner transforms into the pursuer. There are days when this place welcomes more than 10,000 visitors.

In early November, the sugarcane fields in Hong Hoa village (Thanh Than district, Mi Son city, Sichuan province, China) suddenly became a bustling playground. The loudspeaker continuously broadcast the phrase "If you steal again, I will release the dogs", but the "thieves" crouching in the middle of the field were not afraid at all. They excitedly ran away, laughing loudly under the flashlights - experiencing "sugarcane stealing".

Dong Bang Phi, the sugarcane owner, originally planned to make a fun video at the suggestion of his wife after seeing a similar model in another locality. Unexpectedly, less than a week later, his sugarcane field became a famous check-in spot, with visitors from all over China, even foreign tourists.

On peak days, sugarcane fields welcome more than 10,000 "thieves". Photo: Red Star News.

Customers pay 9.9 yuan per sugarcane, have to run away from patrolling NPCs (thief-catching characters), and have to perform their skills if caught. Initially, only boss Dong played the role of "thief-catcher", later adding other village uncles and a small dog.

The video went viral, and tens of thousands of people flocked to the sugarcane field every day, turning it into a “playground” lit by flashlights and laughter echoing throughout the village. After the chase, the host and guests sat down to grill meat and clink beers in the middle of the sugarcane field.

"I sell 2,000-3,000 yuan a night, but the meat and beer costs a lot. Still, it's always fun," Dong Bang Phi said with a smile.

The sugarcane garden became "viral", causing more and more people to want to play the role of NPC. One day, there were more people than sugarcane. However, the garden owner's joy was quickly replaced by exhaustion. "Don't talk about people, even dogs run until they are exhausted", he said. He ran to catch the "thief" until 4am, then went back to the field at noon to guide customers.

In Thanh Than, the phrase "stealing sugarcane" has become slang. From the train station, just say "take me to the place where you stole sugarcane", the taxi driver will take you straight to the place and even give you "escape tactics".

Despite the large number of visitors, the orchard owner said he is still losing money. Half of the sugarcane is thrown away, broken, half-eaten or "ticket-skipping" by customers. Every day he has to use a three-wheeled vehicle to carry the sugarcane away. Some people even steal sugarcane knives.

On November 23, the owner of the farm announced that he had decided to charge an entrance fee of 2.99 yuan per person. By November 25, most of the 3-hectare sugarcane field had been sold, but the total was still at a loss. "When it's all sold out, I'll probably only break even or make a small profit," he said.

After chasing and catching thieves, broken sugarcane is scattered everywhere, sometimes making the garden owner discouraged. Photo: Jimu News.

The fields are not suitable for tourism : no toilets, no parking, no trash cans. He had to level a harvested area to make a free parking lot. Visitors who want to use the toilet must ask for help from local people.

What worries him most is safety. The sugarcane fields have many low roots and the ground is uneven. Even he often trips and falls, and excited runners are prone to accidents. So far, he has only suffered minor sprains and scratches, but the risk is always lurking.

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