Six children in Sichuan steal 60,000 yuan worth of high-end cigarettes to play “cigarette card game”.

In recent months, a game called “Cigarette Card Game” has become popular among children in China. Most recently, in Chuannan, Sichuan, six children stole over 60,000 yuan worth of high-end cigarettes from a store in order to obtain cigarette cards, discarding all the cigarettes and keeping only the cigarette boxes.

On July 27th, several Chinese media outlets reported that Mr. Zhou in Chuannan, Sichuan, had a self-built house with the fourth floor used as a storage warehouse for various items, including cigarettes and liquor.

On July 4th, Mr. Zhou received a call from a relative informing him that the cigarettes stored in his house had been stolen.

It was reported that on that day, a group of six children aged 9 to 10 secretly entered Mr. Zhou’s self-built house and took several high-end cigarettes from the warehouse, including brands such as Nanjing Jiuzhi Zun, Yellow Crane Tower 1916, Da Zhong Ji, Zhonghua, and He Hua.

Worried about being caught, the children disposed of the cigarettes in a secluded bamboo forest, tearing up the cigarette boxes and leaving behind the cigarette cards.

However, due to disagreements in distributing the cigarette cards among themselves, the children began to quarrel. One of the children was dissatisfied with the number and quality of the cigarette cards they received, so they went to “report” to Mr. Zhou’s relatives.

Eventually, a large quantity of discarded cigarettes was discovered in the bamboo forest behind Mr. Zhou’s house, leading to the realization of the seriousness of the situation and the report to the police.

According to incomplete statistics, the stolen cigarettes were valued at around 60,000 RMB.

As all the individuals involved were minors, their guardians compensated Mr. Zhou for his losses. However, due to the limited financial capabilities of the families of the six children involved, five parents each compensated 5,000 yuan, totaling 25,000 yuan. The remaining 35,000 yuan in losses was borne by Mr. Zhou himself.

The incident has sparked discussions among mainland Chinese internet users:

Some questioned, “Who invented the cigarette card game?” While others believe that “playing cigarette cards is better than playing computer games!” Some people also think that “children playing cigarette cards is a healthy form of entertainment, and it is the poor societal atmosphere that led them astray.”

Reportedly, since 2024, the cigarette card game has been popular among primary school students across China, with children aged 5 to 12 almost universally enjoying the game.

Several school teachers confirmed to Red Star News that the majority of students below the fourth grade play cigarette cards in their schools.

Mr. Tang, who runs a waste recycling business locally, mentioned that children are even rummaging through garbage bins to find cigarette cards.

Mr. Li, a businessman in Chuannan, shared that his 5-year-old son is obsessed with playing cigarette cards, possessing over 200 cards, with over 60% being He Hua brand. “My friends and I mostly smoke He Hua, so I keep them all for him.”

Mr. Li observed a phenomenon where after school, groups of children would come to their tea house where they play cards and search for cigarette cards in different rooms, sometimes even “taking cigarettes directly when no one is paying attention.”

The so-called “cigarette cards” are folded from discarded cigarette boxes into playing cards, with brand names on them. The more expensive the cigarette brand, the more valuable the cigarette card. For example, one He Hua cigarette card can be exchanged for 3 regular ones, and one Da Zhong Ji card can be exchanged for 10 regular cards or sold for 10 yuan.

The gameplay is similar to the “paper dolls” popular in the 1960s and 70s, where players place the cigarette cards on the ground and use their palms to fan or slam the ground. The player who successfully flips the card wins and obtains the opponent’s cigarette card.