Police crack down on Halloween celebrations in China

Jack Aylmer

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS ARE RELATIVELY NEW IN CHINA.

BUT PUBIC EVENTS MEANT FOR WEARING COSTUMES ARE REPORTEDLY GETTING A CRACKDOWN FROM THE POLICE IN SEVERAL MAJOR CITIES.

THAT’S BECAUSE REPORTEDLY, THERE ARE CONCERNS THE PUBLIC WILL USE THEIR OUTFITS TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNMENT.

UNDER PRESIDENT XI JIN-PING, CHINA’S CULTURAL SCENE IS TIGHTLY CONTROLLED, WITH “WESTERN” HOLIDAYS LIKE HALLOWEEN DRAWING EXTRA SCRUTINY.

AUTHORITIES HAVE IMPOSED SWEEPING LIMITS ON CULTURAL EXPRESSION AND POLITICAL DISSENT, AND THEY’RE ESPECIALLY WARY OF IDEAS THAT COULD THREATEN LOYALTY TO THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.

LAST YEAR, YOUNG PEOPLE IN SHANGHAI AND OTHER CITIES CELEBRATED WITH BOLD, CHEEKY COSTUMES THAT HINTED AT FRUSTRATIONS OVER COVID-19 RESTRICTRICTIONS–THINK HAZMAT SUITS AND SECURITY CAMERAS.

THIS YEAR, THE SCENE IS QUIETER, BUT A POLICE PRESENCE IS STRONG. OFFICERS HAVE LINED STREETS IN DOWNTOWN SHANGHAI, CHECKING IDS, AND IN SOME CASES, ASKING PEOPLE TO CHANGE OUT OF THEIR COSTUMES.

AND IN OTHER CITIES, LIKE HANGZHOU, POLICE MOVED IN TO DISPERSE CROWDS, CLAIMING IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO NOISE COMPLAINTS.

DESPITE THE CRACKDOWNS, HALLOWEEN REMAINS A RARE OUTLET FOR CHINA’S YOUNG PEOPLE, WHO USE COSTUMES TO EMBRACE SELF-EXPRESSION, OFTEN WITH A CLEVER TWIST.

THIS YEAR’S COSTUMES ARE LESS POLITICAL, WITH NODS TO HISTORICAL FIGURES, CHINESE FOLKLORE, AND EVEN MEMES, LIKE HUAWEI’S TRI-FOLD SMARTPHONE.

BUT FOR SOME, EVEN LIGHTHEARTED THEMES ARE MET WITH POLICE QUESTIONING.

ATTENDEES SAY IT’S HARD TO PREDICT WHO WILL BE TARGETED, AS POLICE SEEM TO MAKE ON-THE-SPOT JUDGMENTS ABOUT CERTAIN COSTUMES. ONE BAR OWNER REPORTED THAT AUTHORITIES INSTRUCTED THE VENUE TO AVOID HOSTING HALLOWEEN PARTIES ALTOGETHER.

AND WHILE SHANGHAI IS KNOWN FOR ITS CULTURAL OPENNESS, THE HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED ONGOING TENSIONS IN CHINA — A CLASH BETWEEN THE DESIRE FOR SELF-EXPRESSION AND THE GOVERNMENT’S PUSH FOR CONTROL.

SOME YOUNG PEOPLE SAY HALLOWEEN HAS BECOME ONE OF THE LAST AVENUES FOR “REVENGE ENTERTAINMENT,” A WAY TO LET LOOSE IN THE FACE OF CONSTANT RESTRICTIONS.

SOME YOUNG PEOPLE SAY HALLOWEEN HAS BECOME ONE OF THE LAST AVENUES FOR “REVENGE ENTERTAINMENT,” A WAY TO LET LOOSE IN THE FACE OF CONSTANT RESTRICTIONS.

FOR SAN, I’M JACK AYLMER