Chinese police detained cosplayers as many defied a Halloween ban in Shanghai over the weekend. Despite the rain and an official prohibition, dozens showed up in costumes ranging from Buddha to Batman, with authorities cracking down on those using the festival to subtly criticize the ruling Communist Party, voice discontent, or simply have fun.
Amid heavy police presence in the downtown area, footage revealed a large crowd of mostly young people, some in costumes and others cheering and filming. Clips also showed revellers being escorted away, some still in their full outfits.
Videos shared on the Instagram account @drinkdownccp, titled “Halloween in Shanghai,” showcased a variety of cosplay outfits, including a Chinese emperor and his concubine.
Last week, police, urban management officials, and local business owners in Huangpu district warned of “strict controls” on cosplay, threatening “coercion” for anyone refusing to remove their costumes or makeup when instructed by authorities. The ban prohibited wearing costumes and elaborate makeup in public, and local buildings were also barred from displaying Halloween decorations such as bats, pumpkins, ghosts, and skeletons, with any “horror or violence-related elements” deemed unacceptable.
Despite these restrictions, many chose to defy the ban, often as a form of protest, as seen in social media posts from the streets of Shanghai, which witnessed significant protests against the government as recently as November 2022. One photo featured an individual wearing a mask with the phrase “save the leeks!”—a reference to online slang depicting ordinary Chinese citizens as resources exploited by those in power.
In a sign of public dissent linked to the flagging economy, a young woman dresses as “the Ghost of Poverty,” wearing a sign that reads “whatever you try, there’s still no money.”
One reveler donned a traditional robe referencing the 1919 May 4th youth movement, carrying a copy of the *New Youth* magazine, a platform for young people to voice political dissent. Another dressed as the Statue of Liberty, while yet another held a sign reading “Police warning: homosexuals!” likely alluding to recent crackdowns on the LGBTQ+ community.
In another clip shared on the same account, a person wearing a Trump mask and the red neckerchief of the Communist Party’s youth organization, Young Pioneers, danced to the Village People’s 1978 hit “Y.M.C.A.”
Reuters captured footage from Shanghai over the weekend, showing police patrolling and a line of police minibuses parked on a downtown street.
In a separate social media clip, someone cosplaying as former U.S. President Donald Trump was seen being escorted out of a store by security guards, while a commentator quipped: “Breaking news: Trump gets chased by security guards!”
A Taiwanese national who runs bars in Shanghai’s Jing’an district and Julu Road, where much of the cosplaying took place, said they had been contacted by police last week and warned not to encourage any Halloween-themed activities.
“The local police told us … there were to be no Halloween activities, no displays, and nobody in weird costumes, on pain of them shutting the bars down,” the person said.
Some cosplayers gathered in Hangzhou, just an hour away by high-speed train, after social media posts suggested it as an alternative to Shanghai. This led to “Halloween in Hangzhou” trending in social media searches. However, some cosplayers there were also asked to remove their costumes and were taken away by police for questioning, as seen in social media footage.
Many young people view costumes as a means to express their dissatisfaction with the government, a sentiment that can quickly escalate into protests.
The government is particularly wary of this, as numerous images and themes can be sensitive under the current regime, which has many contentious issues and topics.
