Nightmare on the Chinese subway
By Beh Yuen Hui
When ‘ghosts’ and ‘zombies’ are asked to clean up their faces before entering the station.
“PLEASE remove your make-up.”
This was an instruction given to a group of youngsters at the security checkpoint of a subway station in Guangzhou, a major city in southern China.
They did so, otherwise risked not being allowed into the station.
A video clip showing the youths removing their make-up went viral on the Internet and quickly became one of the hottest topics board on Weibo, the Chinese Twitter.
The video recorded last Sunday night showed some passengers with special effects make-up as if they were bleeding from the eyes and mouth.
They had just attended a Halloween party at a nearby theme park.
“PLEASE remove your make-up.”
This was an instruction given to a group of youngsters at the security checkpoint of a subway station in Guangzhou, a major city in southern China.
They did so, otherwise risked not being allowed into the station.
A video clip showing the youths removing their make-up went viral on the Internet and quickly became one of the hottest topics board on Weibo, the Chinese Twitter.
The video recorded last Sunday night showed some passengers with special effects make-up as if they were bleeding from the eyes and mouth.
They had just attended a Halloween party at a nearby theme park.
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scene from film 'Visible Secret' Chinese ghosts seem to come from the medieval period with white faces |
“They were stopped at the checkpoint of Hanxi Changlong Station and ordered to wipe off the bloodstains on their faces before being allowed to enter the station, ” the post wrote.
That Sina Weibo post on the subway incident were read 110 million times and generated tens of thousands of discussions.
Despite some people condemning the subway authorities for their lack of the Halloween spirit, most netizens supported the move.
Online polls, conducted by various local dailies, showed massive support for Guangzhou Metro, which operates the city’s subway system.
“This is scary, they will frighten the passengers especially senior citizens and children on the trains, ” wrote Mandarin Orange Indulges in Latte.
“The authorities did nothing wrong, ” wrote another netizen Zhiyu.
Another netizen felt that the security personnel had over reacted and wrote: “I think most people could differentiate between real and fake blood, these special make-up effects will not cause a major panic.”
That Sina Weibo post on the subway incident were read 110 million times and generated tens of thousands of discussions.
Despite some people condemning the subway authorities for their lack of the Halloween spirit, most netizens supported the move.
Online polls, conducted by various local dailies, showed massive support for Guangzhou Metro, which operates the city’s subway system.
“This is scary, they will frighten the passengers especially senior citizens and children on the trains, ” wrote Mandarin Orange Indulges in Latte.
“The authorities did nothing wrong, ” wrote another netizen Zhiyu.
Another netizen felt that the security personnel had over reacted and wrote: “I think most people could differentiate between real and fake blood, these special make-up effects will not cause a major panic.”
Guangzhou Metro explained that it was merely trying to prevent unnecessary panic among passengers.
“Some had special make-up effect which were really scary, ” a staff told the local media, adding that the passengers were sporting enough and agreed to wipe away the special effects with make-up remover provided to them.
Guangzhou police has advised the public against creating unnecessary anxiety among others in public areas.
It also asked them not to wear outlandish clothes meant for activities with special themes while taking public transport.
“Action will be taken accordingly against those who refuse to follow instructions given by the authorities and disturb public order, ” the cops warned. [...]
“Some had special make-up effect which were really scary, ” a staff told the local media, adding that the passengers were sporting enough and agreed to wipe away the special effects with make-up remover provided to them.
Guangzhou police has advised the public against creating unnecessary anxiety among others in public areas.
It also asked them not to wear outlandish clothes meant for activities with special themes while taking public transport.
“Action will be taken accordingly against those who refuse to follow instructions given by the authorities and disturb public order, ” the cops warned. [...]
The subway has always been the source for ideas for film scriptwriters especially ghost-related stories.
Hong Kong ghost film Visible Secret, helmed by award-winning director Ann Hui, sparked a wave of horror among the public. Many declared they dared not take the subway at night.
Hong Kong ghost film Visible Secret, helmed by award-winning director Ann Hui, sparked a wave of horror among the public. Many declared they dared not take the subway at night.
This was caused by the eerie poster that shows the stars including Shu Qi and Eason Chan sitting emotionless with a “ghost” on a subway train.
The 2001 film was nominated for the Best Director, Best Supporting Actress and Best Sound Effects awards, winning the Best Cinematography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
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kaytee notes:
Halloween in China? Wakakaka, you must be joking. It's OK for those brats who followed American culture but to expect Chinese elders or more mature adults to know what it's about would be too much.
Wikipedia informs us:
It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.
It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain; that such festivals may have had pagan roots; and that Samhain itself was Christianized as Halloween by the early Church.
Some believe, however, that Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, separate from ancient festivals like Samhain.
Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising and souling), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, as well as watching horror films.
In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration.
Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes. [...]
Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which are believed to have pagan roots.
Jack Santino, a folklorist, writes that "there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived".
Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which comes from the Old Irish for 'summer's end'."
Traditionally, Chinese unexposed to the Western culture and festival of Halloween, as those travellers in Guangzhou, would be surprised and even shocked at such a festival. The nearest Chinese equivalent would be Hungry Ghost Festival, and Chinese don't fool around on such a festival with silliness like 'trick or treat'.
What's wrong with a few youngsters just having some harmless fun ?
ReplyDeleteLike it or not, Hollywood's movie sub-culture is pervasive throughout Planet Earth, especially among youngsters.
Most of it is harmless, mainly rabid anti-Americans , Taliban wannabes and ultra-nationalist are dead against it.