爱上海419：Shanghai authorities set to crack down on Halloween revelers

Shanghai authorities are set to control Halloween cosplayers and decorations this year, U.S. media Radio Free Asia said, as the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping has been vigilant about the spread of Western culture and revelers' costumes with underlying political messages.爱上海419

Earlier this week, RFA quoted an internal Shanghai police notice as saying, "All cosplaying is prohibited, and no Halloween makeup will be permitted" in downtown areas. "Use verbal persuasion at first, but compulsory measures must be used in the event of noncooperation," the notice added.上海新茶工作室微信

Buildings are banned from displaying any Halloween decorations, including bats, pumpkins, ghosts, coffins and skeletons, while "horror or violence-related elements" will not be allowed, according to the report.上海新茶网

A restaurant worker in central Shanghai, where many young people take to the streets to celebrate Halloween, recommended that cosplayers remain indoors this year because they could be warned by police outdoors. Most people are expected to gather in the area this weekend.

Last year in Shanghai, some were dressed as Winnie the Pooh and officials in white hazmat suits to protect against COVID-19, with images going viral on Chinese social media. Some event participants were led away by police.

Images of the popular bear character have regularly been censored in China due to its association with Xi上海龙凤419. Shanghai, the country's commercial and financial hub, was under COVID lockdown for two months in 2022.

Referring to the possible Halloween crackdown, some social media users asked in their posts, "Why do authorities restrict entertainment activities?"

In recent years, Chinese authorities have taken measures to prevent the spread of Western culture, such as banning Christmas celebrations at schools.

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