There are two issues. The first is the internal disciplinary issue, which is between your friend and the employer. The second is the issue of recording/filming without consent, which is between your friend and the customer - the employer is not involved in this matter even if it has seen/heard...
I live in Hong Kong. China is huge and incredibly diverse. If you're looking for cities then Shanghai is your best choice of the mainland cities. If you're looking for countryside or something different then there are places like Guilin, Xian (terracotta warriors), Yunnan, Zhouzhang, and many...