came soaked in juice from 10 tons of tomatoes during Splash Wars at Mako Livehouse in Shuangjing, Chaoyang district, on July 6. For 100 yuan ($16), people were invited to pelt each other with tomatoes purchased from a local wholesale market. Despite some concerns about food waste, event organizers assured the public only tomatoes unsuitable for human consumption were used. The overall response from participants was positive, but some complained about the lack of shower facilities and firmness of tomatoes. Waste woes dismissed
Jerry Guo, one of the organizers of Splash Wars, told Metropolitan the event was about "giving people a chance to have fun" and release stress from their daily lives. "People in Beijing are under a lot of pressure, but I believe everybody has an inner child," he said.
The most difficult task for organizers was finding an appropriate location to host the event. On the eve of the battle, Guo and his team were up all night waterproofing Mako Livehouse's main arena using a giant reel of cling wrap.
One of the main criticisms of food fights is the massive waste of food, but Guo said tomatoes used in Splash Wars were rejects bought from Xinfadi Wholesale Market, Fengtai district. The tomatoes were either too soft or rotten, Guo said, making them unfit for sale at the market.
Even the leftover tomatoes from the battle weren't destined for the trash, said Guo. "The remains will be sent to a local pig farm," he said.
