A male TikToker who publicly criticized the Prince of Bac Lieu's mansion as “unimpressive” and claimed that visiting a zoo would be more worthwhile has been fined VND 7.5 million (approx. USD 295) by local authorities.

On April 4, the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division under Bac Lieu Provincial Police announced that it had issued an administrative fine against Vo Minh Trung (35, residing in Ben Tre Province).

Trung was fined for “posting false and offensive content on social media that damaged the reputation of the historical and cultural relic site – the Prince of Bac Lieu’s mansion.”

Previously, on March 21, Trung’s TikTok account “Minh Trung” posted a video recounting his experience visiting the Prince of Bac Lieu’s mansion with a group of over 40 people.

“Honestly, there’s really nothing to see at the Prince of Bac Lieu’s mansion,” Trung said in the video. “You’d be better off going to the zoo - it’s more exciting and you’ll see more wild animals.”

Trung also “surveyed” his tour group in the clip, comparing impressions. He further complained that the ticket price was VND 45,000, whereas he had seen VND 30,000 advertised online, and criticized the staff’s behavior as “unprofessional.”

Upon receiving reports of the video, the Cybersecurity Division coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Inspectorate to conduct an investigation.

Authorities confirmed that Vo Minh Trung was the account owner and summoned him for questioning. During the session, Trung admitted his wrongdoing and voluntarily removed the video from his social media account.

Tran Tuyen