15th April 2026 – (Shantou) Police in Shantou, Guangdong province, have launched an investigation after a woman was filmed throwing large quantities of Hong Kong banknotes from a high-rise balcony, prompting crowds below to scramble for the cash.
The incident occurred on 14thApril at Hexin Xinghu City, a residential complex in the city’s Longhu district. Videos shared widely on Xiaohongshu and Facebook show a middle-aged woman standing on a balcony and repeatedly tossing bundles of HK$1,000 and HK$500 notes into the street. The notes drifted across the estate and nearby pavements as passers-by rushed to collect them.
Witnesses claimed the sum involved exceeded HK$1 million, although the exact amount has not been confirmed. Some online commentators alleged the episode stemmed from a domestic dispute, suggesting the woman scattered the money following an argument with her husband.
A local resident said banknotes could be seen floating through the air, landing both inside the housing compound and along the roadside. “Many people were picking them up, and some gathered sizeable bundles,” the resident said.
A nearby shopkeeper reported retrieving several notes himself. “At first I thought they were counterfeit, but after checking I realised they were genuine HK$1,000 and HK$500 notes,” he said, adding that the woman appeared to continue throwing money for around 20 minutes before police were alerted.
Property management staff at Xinghu City confirmed the incident, stating that some residents had handed in the cash they collected and that the notes were authentic. They said the motive behind the act and the total amount involved remain unclear, and pledged to assist police with their enquiries.
Officers from the Zhuchi Police Station under the Longhu Public Security Bureau said the case is under investigation and urged anyone who picked up banknotes to surrender them to the police station or estate management as soon as possible.
