As Halloween 2023 approaches, the costumes and celebrations of young people in Shanghai are attracting widespread attention and discussion.(Internet image / New Tang Dynasty Television composition)
People News - According to a recent article by Zhang Qing published on Dajiyuan on October 23, 2024, titled "What Scares the Chinese Communist Party About Shanghai Halloween?", a call to gather for Halloween events in Shanghai appeared on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). The post advised: "If you want to participate in the 2024 Shanghai Halloween event, please note the following: 1. The best dates are expected to be October 26 to 27, with activities starting at 5 PM and lasting until 11 PM. 2. The events are likely to concentrate around Julu Road, especially near Found158, where the best-dressed crowds will gather. Be sure to arrive early, as it tends to get extremely crowded after dark, just like last year..."
The article points out that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is becoming increasingly uneasy about this call for a nationwide Halloween gathering in Shanghai. Despite police issuing notices forbidding role-playing, the article wonders what clever and unexpected methods the youth will use this time to express themselves and resist the restrictions.
Full Article:
According to foreign media reports, the Shanghai police are feeling increasingly uneasy as Halloween approaches. An internal notice from the Huangpu District Street Office in Shanghai states that the police have been instructed to strictly control all elements related to Halloween. The notice outlines the “general principle” that Halloween costumes must be strictly monitored across the district, stating, “Whoever is spotted in costume must be taken away and have their makeup removed.” This ban includes all forms of cosplay and NPC (non-player character) costumes. Furthermore, businesses are prohibited from displaying any Halloween-themed elements such as bats, pumpkins, ghosts, coffins, skeletons, and fake blood.
During last year’s Halloween in Shanghai, many young participants dressed in costumes that provoked deep reflection and criticism. It was the first Halloween after three years of strict COVID lockdowns in China. Young people not only used the occasion to release their long-suppressed emotions but also employed role-playing as a form of performance art to mock and criticize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its political policies.
The unique and unpredictable costumes seen during the 2023 Halloween made the police unsure of how to respond, prompting the authorities to issue detailed directives to street offices this year. The question remains: What exactly is the CCP afraid of?
Firstly, the satirical and metaphorical nature of these costumes that criticize the CCP regime is what frightens the authorities most.
Under the CCP’s tight control of speech and censorship, sensitive words have piled up to the extent that many terms cannot be openly expressed in writing. However, through Halloween costumes, people have found a way to visually express these banned terms, which is why some have exclaimed that they witnessed “freedom of speech” during Halloween.
For example, individuals dressed in hazmat suits (known as "Da Bai") and as COVID-19 testing stations, pretending to swab passersby, brought back memories of the oppressive lockdown era, reminding people not to forget the CCP’s lies and inhumanity. Others covered in white paper recalled the "White Paper Movement," symbolizing the journey of young people from awakening to resistance. A person dressed as Lu Xun, with the quote “Medicine cannot save the Chinese people,” highlighted the need for an awakening of consciousness among the Chinese people. Another individual, wearing a camera on their head and standing motionless while staring at passersby, symbolized the reality of living in a surveillance state. Someone carrying a funeral wreath or holding a sign that read “I’m in Shanghai, wishing you death” hinted at the mysterious death of former Premier Li Keqiang. Participants dressed as characters from Farewell My Concubine, reenacting the public humiliation of Cheng Dieyi during the Cultural Revolution, suggested that another such dark period might be imminent. Some even wore costumes resembling Winnie the Pooh or dressed as an emperor in a direct mockery of Xi Jinping. People holding stock market charts or dressed as beaten-up programmers symbolized the exploitation of ordinary people in society, struggling to survive under the pressure of life.
Young people are using role-playing, situational reenactments, and performance art to express ideas that cannot be voiced online. This is exactly what the CCP fears the most. As a result, participants dressed in sensitive costumes like “Da Bai,” Lu Xun, the surveillance camera, and the funeral wreath were immediately removed by the police. In addition, authorities followed up with retribution, using facial recognition technology to track down participants. Some were invited for "tea" (a euphemism for police interrogation), others were arrested and detained, and even those who simply shared images online were taken in for questioning.
Furthermore, the CCP has ordered platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Tencent to closely monitor and remove Halloween-related videos, prohibiting the publication of content deemed to violate the “core values of socialism” and preventing the infiltration of Western culture into China.
On October 11, 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the Ministry of Education launched a special campaign called “Clean and Standardize Online Language Use,” which focuses on tackling issues such as distorting sound, meaning, and usage, as well as curbing the creation of online slang, offensive memes, and covert expressions. It seems that the CCP is increasingly struggling to keep up with these veiled forms of expression. However, the creativity of young people is limitless, and last year’s Halloween protests demonstrated an unexpected form of resistance to political repression.
Secondly, the growing number of young people with no way out is making the CCP uneasy.
The main participants in Halloween party events are mostly young people, and today's youth are under unprecedented pressure. Many young people are choosing to "lie flat" or "let things rot" in response to the intense competition ("involution"), while others opt to "burn incense" (a metaphor for seeking peace or escape) or directly pursue "run" (leave the country). This reflects the current social situation in China, where individuals see no personal future and the country seems to lack prospects. Meanwhile, the CCP is tightening control over freedom of speech even further, leaving young people who have no outlet for expression feeling trapped and frustrated.
College graduates, in particular, are facing the so-called "unfinished generation" era. The CCP has dodged responsibility by criticizing students for being unable to "remove the traditional Chinese robe," a reference to outdated mindsets. It has coined new terms like "slow employment," "light employment," and "light entrepreneurship" to mask the poor employment environment. In the end, the CCP resorts to absurd claims that "working one hour a week counts as employment." With millions of new college graduates each year, many are unable to find jobs, accumulating a level of frustration that the CCP fears.
A recent round of stock market manipulation targeting the post-90s and post-2000s generations has led to numerous suicides, as evidenced by several high-profile incidents of young people jumping off buildings or bridges. This aligns with a broader trend of despair among young people, who are increasingly losing hope in society and their own futures. A sense of despair is pervading the entire society.
Finally, the awakening and resistance of the Chinese people, especially the youth, is the CCP’s worst nightmare.
On October 13, 2022, Peng Lifa shocked the world by unfurling anti-CCP and anti-Xi banners on Beijing’s Sitong Bridge, directly pointing out the root cause of the lack of freedom and dignity for Chinese citizens. This act inspired public awakening during the strict pandemic lockdowns and ignited the White Paper Movement.
The white paper became a symbol of protest and metaphor. The paper was blank, but "what are you afraid of? What’s written on the paper is exactly what you're afraid of." "The public has a shared demand... if you hold a blank sheet of paper, everyone knows what you want to say."
The White Paper Movement awakened people across the country, not only through Peng Lifa’s actions and slogans but also through that blank sheet of paper. On Urumqi Middle Road in Shanghai, citizens shouted in unison, “No dictatorship, we want democracy! No leaders, we want votes!” and “We want human rights, we want freedom!” until they even called out “Down with the Communist Party!” and “Xi Jinping step down!”
In the current atmosphere of social despair, people may move from anger to disappointment, from disappointment to an outburst, in an instant. The role-playing seen during Halloween, which reflects societal realities, could lead to a mass awakening. An awakened populace would unite, cast off fear, and rise against tyranny. This is why the CCP police are so eager to tightly control Halloween costumes and role-playing.
Recently, a call to gather on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) appeared, saying: “If you want to attend the 2024 Shanghai Halloween event, here are a few things to note: 1. The best dates are expected to be October 26-27, with activities starting at 5 PM and lasting until 11 PM. 2. The event will likely be centered around Julu Road, with the most vibrant part near Found158. All the cool people will be there. But remember to go early, as last year, after dark, it was packed…”
Faced with a national call to attend the Halloween event in Shanghai, the CCP is already on edge. Although the police have issued a notice banning role-playing, what clever and unexpected ways will these smart young people come up with to express themselves and resist this time?△
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