Get rice-drunk

饭醉 (fàn zuì): rice-drunk

Restaurants have apparently gotten into the act. This restaurant has adopted the name, “rice drunk gangsters.”

The term “rice-drunk,” generally used by activists and others critical of the government, is a homonym in Mandarin for the phrase “to commit a crime” (犯罪). The use of the term is an example of an oppressed group reclaiming a term originally used against them, and it highlights the contrasting views of authorities and activists on the legality of their actions.

Rice-drunk gangsters (饭醉团伙) are people who have engaged in illegal eating and drinking. Activists inside and outside of China sometimes organize “rice-drunk” events (饭醉活动) where they socialize and share their views over food and drink.