A popular tea shop chain has been the subject of criticism after it unveiled its newest drinking cups with Buddha’s face on them being sold at museums in China.
The Heytea company, in cooperation with the Jingdezhen China Ceramic Museum, launched the co-branded ‘Buddha Tea Latte’ on 28th November.
The new drink included various packaging including cups with the face of Buddha and other Chinese sacred deities.
Almost immediately, the company came under online fire for using religious elements to boost sales.
The criticism prompted reviews by the Shenzhen Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, which revealed that using religious images for advertisement is strictly prohibited.
Heytea was reportedly summoned for a meeting, and by 3rd December all the promotional material as well as the products were removed.
It is unclear if the company or the museum involved were also faced with any fines.
A staff member from the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau stated: “Now that they have been summoned, Heytea has been very cooperative.
“They admitted their mistake and showed a good attitude.
“By December 3rd, the ‘Buddha Tea Latte’ has been completely removed from the shelves.”
Food industry analyst Zhu Danpeng said the incident should serve as a warning to many companies.
Zhu added that when engaging in cross-industry collaborations, it is essential to consider all aspects comprehensively and from multiple dimensions for the collaboration to be successful.
