Why do the cafe check-in photos differ so much from reality?

A ginkgo-themed cafe in Shanghai's Lujiazui district went viral on social media for its golden fallen leaves and Korean-style setting, drawing crowds of visitors. Once they arrived, many complained that the leaves had not turned yellow, that the space was packed, that queues were long, and that the posted photos did not match what they saw.

The gap comes down to timing and filters. November is the tail end of autumn, yet the trees around the cafe were still green as summer, so the golden-leaf shots circulating online were likely edited or from another season. The crowds themselves also remove the calm setting that made the images appealing.

As autumn arrives, a ginkgo café located in Shanghai's Lujiazui has quickly gone viral on social media. The ground covered in golden fallen leaves and the Korean-style ambiance have captured the hearts of countless netizens, who have rushed to check in. However, reality has left many crying foul—the leaves haven't turned yellow, it's packed with people, the queues are endless, and the online photos are seriously inconsistent with the actual scene. Is this the work of filters, or just bad timing? This article takes you behind the truth of this check-in frenzy and explores the phenomenon behind café check-in culture.

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With the popularity of social platforms like Xiaohongshu, more and more people are getting used to recommending good spots to each other online. For example, in café-related posts, elegant settings and creatively shaped drinks often successfully get netizens to "add to their wishlist." However, after spending enough time online, everyone has accumulated plenty of lessons about photos not matching reality.

November marks the tail end of autumn, and netizens have begun searching for the best spots to enjoy the season. On social media, a flood of posts all pointed to a café in Shanghai's Lujiazui—surrounded by ginkgo trees, where once the autumn wind blows, ginkgo leaves cascade down, covering the café floor in gold. Such scenes drew many likes and saves from netizens, who eagerly made plans to visit.

However! Upon arriving at the scene, they discovered that "fairy tales are all lies"! Some netizens posted complaints that not only was the actual natural environment far from the pictures, but it was also crowded everywhere, making for a terrible experience: "Fooled again. The leaves are barely yellow, not in large patches at all, and it's super crowded with long queues."

From the comparison photos posted by netizens, the online images showed not only golden fallen leaves covering the ground, but even the leaves still on the trees were yellow. With sunlight streaming down and customers sitting and enjoying afternoon tea, the whole scene was very "Korean-style." But in reality, everything was still the lush green of summer, with not a trace of autumn to be seen. Tourists were so numerous that people could barely find space to stand, with zero ambiance.

Filters do harm. In response, netizens in the comments section decried it as "catfishing," saying things like "Can we call the police for fraud?" and "It's like this every time—the buyer's photo and the seller's photo are seriously inconsistent."

One café exploration blogger was blunt, "exposing" the truth: without filters, there's no traffic. "After all, it's impossible to wait until the leaves actually turn yellow before promoting it. Posting early to get people to go first is the only way businesses make money."

Other netizens remarked: "There are more people than trees, and more pretty boys and girls taking photos than fallen leaves." Who would have thought that for a few yellow leaves, people would line up in long queues, just to buy a cup of coffee and then find the right angle to take beautiful photos. Some might wonder—with such a plain environment and ordinary coffee, what are people queuing for? Another netizen gave a concise answer: it's all about taking check-in photos!

Speaking of checking in, it must be acknowledged that this has become the "driving force"—or even the sole attraction—for some consumers visiting cafés. When they arrive and discover they've been deceived, their expectations backfire, leaving them full of dissatisfaction.

Regarding the "catfishing" issue raised by the blogger, some netizens pointed out that ginkgo leaves turn yellow in batches. The first wave had already ended, and a more spectacular second wave wouldn't come until the weather turned colder. Most ginkgo trees in Shanghai turn yellow in the second wave, so the blogger may have simply missed the brief first leaf-falling period.

Some people in the comments section also shared photos confirming that there indeed had been fallen leaves a few days earlier, which indirectly shows the scene wasn't entirely "catfishing." Other netizens believed that getting good shots takes effort—even if the scene isn't as pretty as what netizens post, you can always find an angle to get a good photo.

Visit at different times, and you'll see different scenery—it's inevitable to feel disappointed when the gap is large. It seems that to know whether a café is "catfishing" or truly as heart-stirring as the photos suggest, you can't trust netizens' shares too readily—you have to go see for yourself!

Image source: Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.