{
  "id": 2283944,
  "title": "Real-life ‘gold-devouring beast’: Chinese girl, 5, hospitalised after swallowing gold bar",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/real-life-gold-devouring-beast-chinese-girl-5-hospitalised-after",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-21T02:46:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3364750/real-life-gold-devouring-beast-chinese-girl-5-hospitalised-after-swallowing-gold-bar"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A five-year-old girl in northern China accidentally ingested a 50-gram gold bar, leading to her hospitalization on August 16. The incident, treated at Beijing Children’s Hospital, raised concerns about the phrase \"gold-devouring beasts,\" a popular nickname for children in China. The gold bar, measuring 4cm in length and weighing 50 grams, became lodged in the girl's stomach after she swallowed it while playing at home. X-rays revealed the object's presence, and doctors performed an intraoperative endoscopy to remove it carefully due to the narrow operating conditions. The gold bar's hard and dense nature, along with its smooth surface, posed a risk of scratching the stomach lining and causing serious complications. The girl's condition improved after successful removal, and she recovered well. The case highlights the dangers of children ingesting foreign objects and emphasizes the importance of responsible parenting in monitoring and safeguarding children's environments.",
  "summary": "A five-year-old girl in northern China accidentally swallowed a 50-gram gold bar, sparking viral jokes online that she took the mainland nickname for children – “gold-devouring beasts” – far too literally. The Beijing Children’s Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medicine University, reported the case that was treated on August 16. The girl was brought to the hospital after accidentally swallowing…",
  "key_points": [
    "Five-year-old Chinese girl hospitalized after swallowing 50-gram gold bar",
    "Gold bar lodged in stomach, removed via intraoperative endoscopy",
    "Case underscores risks of children ingesting foreign objects"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}