China’s latest security target: Halloween partygoers

BEIJING: The police escorted the Buddha down the street, one officer steering him with both hands. They hurried a giant poop emoji out of a cheering dance circle in a public park. They also pounced on Donald Trump with a bandaged ear, and pushed aKim Kardashianlook-alike, in a tight black dress and pearls, into a police van, while she turned and waved to a crowd of onlookers. Authorities in Shanghai were on high alert this past weekend, against a pressing threat: Halloween.

Officials there clamped down on Halloween celebrations this year, after many young people turned last year’s festivities into a rare public outlet for political or social criticism. People had poured into the streets dressed up as COVID testing workers, to mock the three years of lockdowns they had just endured; they plastered themselves in job advertisements, amid a weak employment market; they cross-dressed, seizing the opportunity to express LGBTQ+ identities without being stigmatized.

At the time, many on Chinese social media celebrated the revelries as a joyous form of collective therapy. The Shanghai government even issued a news release saying the celebrations were proof of the city’s “cultural tolerance” and the “wisdom of its urban managers.” “There is an absence of festivals in China solely dedicated to the simple pleasures of having fun,” it said. “Halloween has filled the void.” But the authorities have grown increasingly restrictive toward personal expression in recent years, including seemingly apolitical expression. They are also wary of impromptu crowds, especially after the anti-lockdown protests in 2022. And so, for all their praise last year, this year they seemed determined to prevent a repeat.

Around Julu Road, a popular area where most people had congregated last year, guardrails had been erected, blocking off the sidewalks. Flanks of police lined the street and subway entrances. When they saw someone in costume, according to videos and photos on social media verified by The New York Times, they hustled them out of view.

The police did not appear to be approaching people who were not in costume. “If you have a costume, you’ll be immediately taken away,” a popular blogger who uses the name Zhe Ying — who went viral last Halloween for her impression of a famous singer — said in a livestream Friday. Still wearing heavy makeup after having dressed up as an empress, she said she had just been released from “having tea,” a common euphemism for interactions with the police. “If you wanted to go out on the streets, you might as well just return your clothing.”

On several Chinese social media platforms, searches for terms such as “Shanghai Halloween” or “Shanghai Julu Road” returned no results or only limited ones from several months ago. The Shanghai government did not make any public announcements about Halloween, though the city’s Zhongshan Park, where many people had gathered Saturday, abruptly announced later that night that the park would be closed the next day for “internal reasons.” A Shanghai government spokesperson did not reply to requests for comment.

Videos in another city, Hangzhou, also showed some people dressed as Deadpool, Batman and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing being escorted away by police. In Beijing, some Halloween events were canceled as well. Warnings that Shanghai’s Halloween celebrations this year would be limited by authorities had already begun circulating before the holiday weekend. After an influencer posted a video on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, in mid-October to tell people which areas would likely be the most lively, two police officers came to her home last week to tell her to delete it, she said.

The influencer, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation, said the police gave crowd control as the reason, but she didn’t believe them. Restaurants and bars in Shanghai were also told by authorities not to host Halloween events, or at least not to advertise them openly as such, staff at three different venues confirmed by phone.

“So sad,” Michael Luo, a bar owner, said in a video he posted on social media. “It’s obviously a very happy holiday. Even though it’s foreign culture, it’s still quite fun.” Not long afterward, Luo said in an interview, the police told him, too, to delete his video. He estimated that the restrictions had resulted in an 80% or 90% drop in business compared to last Halloween.

Some revelry was still allowed, such as in amusement parks including Shanghai Disneyland. Bars and restaurants could also still hang Halloween decorations indoors, and some Halloween-themed events with presold tickets were allowed to go forward. But many of those venues took precautions, too. One shopping complex that advertised a “Fun Night” shopping event, with posters featuring pumpkins and ghosts, erected a giant poster near its entrance. “Don’t overdo it,” it said in large orange letters. “Dress up carefully, go out simply.”

Anything related to politics, religion or anything “sensitive” was strictly prohibited, the sign continued.

“Weird costumes can only say goodbye!”