A bowl of noodles sells for 20,000 yuan, clearly priced and not illegal.

[2] Compiled from: Red Star News, The Paper
 
Case review
#Recently, media reported that a fast-food restaurant in Qiaoxi District, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, sells a luxury banmian set meal containing expensive ingredients such as sea cucumber, abalone, wagyu beef, porcini mushrooms, morel mushrooms, and matsutake mushrooms, priced at 20,198 yuan per bowl. The meal requires a ten-day advance reservation with a deposit of 10,000 yuan.

 
 

The shop is named "Guizu Mian Ban Mian" and has multiple franchise branches in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. Apart from the luxury noodles priced at 20,000 yuan, most items in the shop are affordable ban mian and dishes. On Dianping, some users describe it as "the most famous old-brand ban mian in Shijiazhuang, open for nearly 20 years," while others visit out of curiosity, noting that "if you go for the 20,198 yuan ban mian, you simply can't afford it." Therefore, netizens question whether its prices are inflated and suggest that relevant authorities should investigate.
 
In response, staff from the Price Section of the Shijiazhuang Development and Reform Commission stated that catering prices are market-regulated and not set by the government. Staff from the Shijiazhuang 12315 hotline said that specific prices are determined by the merchant, who only needs to clearly label them; if the prices do not match the promotion, a report can be filed.

 
 

 
《 [1] The People's Republic of China Price Law
Article 7
Operators should set prices based on the principles of fairness, legality, and good faith.
 
Article 8
The basic basis for operators to set prices is production and operation costs as well as market supply and demand conditions.
 
Article 13
When selling goods, purchasing goods, or providing services, business operators shall clearly mark prices in accordance with the regulations of the government price authorities, specifying the product name, place of origin, specifications, grade, pricing unit, price, or service items, fee standards, and other relevant information.
Business operators shall not sell goods at prices higher than those marked, nor charge any fees not clearly indicated.

 
 

 
[1] The author's perspective
Thus, not all goods have government-set prices, but merchants must ensure clear labeling and provide necessary explanations to consumers regarding specifications, origin, and other basic information, without infringing on consumers' right to know and choose. On this basis, merchants should also follow the principles of fairness, legality, and good faith when pricing their goods.
 
In this case, although some members of the public have pointed out that a bowl of noodles costing over twenty thousand yuan is outrageously expensive, based on the detailed list provided by the merchant, the noodles were made with a large number of high-priced ingredients and required a one-day advance reservation, so the cost is not comparable to that of ordinary noodles. Whether the cost of such an exorbitantly priced bowl of noodles is truly that high and whether the pricing is reasonable still need to be professionally determined.