As a Chinese slang term, 250 (二百五 èrbǎiwǔ) is a disparaging insult, and refers to somebody or something being stupid or useless and/or the general state of being stupid or useless. This term is so defamatory that if you make a purchase of 250 yuan, the number will often be rounded down or up to avoid the possibility of the patron thinking the shop is calling them an idiot. 二百五 has at least half a dozen etymologies, and if you are interested, here are some links that uncover the legends behind the expression.
At The Hutong, the last thing we would ever do is call anyone an idiot. That’s why for each cooking class you attend, we will charge 249 RMB and donate 1 RMB to charity. 1 RMB might not seem like much, but it’s just one of the many things we do to support charitable causes in Beijing. Click here for more information on our charity initiatives, and click here for more information on our Corporate CSR Initiatives.
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