A Chinese hearing-imparied influencer has issued a public apology after a video of her flashing the national flag during a heated dispute over a photo spot at the Palais Garnier in France went viral.
The incident unfolded on the iconic marble staircase of the Palais Garnier, where tensions flared as the influencer "Xue'er" reportedly hogged a prime photo spot for an extended period while dozens of tourists queued behind her.
In the circulating videos, a foreign man pointed at his watch to signal impatience with the influencer’s prolonged photo session, which soon escalated into a verbal dispute and shoving involving her male companion.
Adding fuel to the altercation, Xue'er raised her phone to display an image of China's national red flag.
Notably, she used sign language to convey messages including " While China is the best, they still bully Chinese people" and "Let everyone know I am Chinese and will not tolerate any bullies."
Instead of de-escalating the tension, her gesture provoked strong backlash from both on-site witnesses and online observers, with many slamming her for exploiting patriotic sentiment and saying it reflected poorly on Chinese tourists.
Facing mounting criticism, she posted a 662-character apology on Xiaohongshu on June 25, admitting that displaying the national flag was an "impulsive and inappropriate act."
She also expressed deep regret over involving the national flag in a personal dispute but insisted that the foreign tourist had cut in line and made offensive gestures first.
Stressing that she had only been taking photos for "two to three minutes," she called on the Palais Garnier to release full surveillance footage to prove her account.
However, her defense was quickly dismantled by online users who claimed to have been at the scene, reporting that Xue'er and her group had occupied the photo spot for over ten minutes.
Additionally, some noted that her husband had initiated physical contact by pushing others, contradicting her claims of being the victim.
Further digging by the online community uncovered a pattern of similar behavior, with one user claiming the pair had been posing in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, making others wait for a long time and eventually being escorted out by museum staff.
While Xue'er has yet to respond to the new revelations, many netizens criticized her attempt to use the national flag as a shield over her misconduct, calling it a global embarrassment.
