A strange incident from Eastern China has captured attention online after an eight-year-old boy cut his mother’s gold necklace into pieces and gifted them to his friends. The child, who reportedly did not understand the value of gold, believed he was simply sharing something “nice” with his classmates.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the parents found out about the incident almost a month later. The boy’s sister told them that a student had mentioned receiving a shiny, expensive-looking gift. When the mother confronted her son, he admitted that he had taken the necklace and given small pieces of it away.
The mother, surnamed Sun, shared the story on social media, saying she felt a mix of anger and amusement. The gold necklace was actually a marriage souvenir gifted to her by her husband. The couple checked their home’s surveillance footage and saw the boy taking the necklace from a drawer. He first tried cutting it with pliers and a lighter. When that did not work, he started biting it into tiny pieces to make separate “gifts.”
Local media reported that the parents could only recover a very tiny part of the necklace. The boy could not remember how many pieces he had made or which classmates he had given them to. He also could not recall where he kept the remaining bits.
The father punished the boy by beating him, which sparked debate after the story spread online. A lawyer told SCMP that the father’s action violated China’s Juvenile Protection Law, which forbids physical punishment of minors.
Social media reactions ranged from humorous to concerned. One user joked, “He must be educated seriously. Otherwise, he may sell your house one day.” Another commented, “If he gave it to girls, you should not try to get it back. One of them may become your daughter-in-law in the future.”
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
