Halloween in Shanghai this year has taken a dark turn. Chinese police, on October 26, 2024, launched a crackdown on costume-wearing revelers across the city, dispersing gatherings, detaining individuals, and forcing some to wipe away their Halloween makeup. Their justification? Maintaining “social order” and “public image.” While there’s no official Halloween ban, many see these police actions as a clear warning: expressing yourself—especially if it hints at criticizing the government—is unwelcome.
What sparked this heavy-handed approach? Last year’s Halloween saw citizens dressed in satirical costumes that poked fun at the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) strict COVID-19 measures and other controversial policies. Satire and symbolism filled the streets as people dressed in hazmat suits and other costumes that represented the government’s failures. In China, political expression is tightly controlled, and the CCP tolerates no public mockery, especially when aimed at its policies.
Despite the lack of a formal ban, police targeted gatherings this Halloween weekend with orders for revelers to cease costume-based gatherings, and warnings were sent to businesses discouraging adult Halloween events. The authorities’ actions appear to be a calculated attempt to avoid any repeat of last year’s public dissent. Reports indicate that some attendees were even escorted to police stations, where they were forced to remove their costumes and makeup on the spot.
China’s youth has increasingly used Halloween to express themselves, transforming the holiday into a “Meme Playing Festival,” a time to satirize leaders and express their views through humor and performance art. In many cases, this subtle resistance is among the few ways young Chinese can show discontent. But this year, as police attempted to stifle even these small freedoms, it left citizens wondering how much longer they could hold on to any form of free expression.
This heavy enforcement on Halloween adds to a broader narrative of suppression in China. As one of the last venues for satire and public critique, Halloween’s transformation from playful celebration to police-targeted event paints a chilling picture of life in a place where even a costume can be considered subversive. And with China watchers suggesting that the CCP’s grip on public expression is tightening further, this crackdown serves as yet another reminder of the CCP’s relentless control over its citizens.
Public reaction has been strong, with many Chinese citizens expressing outrage online, though even digital criticism risks censorship. In some Shanghai venues, Halloween celebrations continued despite the crackdown, but only in designated areas like Disneyland and Happy Valley, where costumes pose no risk of political undertones. For those hoping to witness—or even partake in—festive critique, the future of Halloween in Shanghai now looks grim, and the CCP’s message is loud and clear: criticism, even in disguise, won’t be tolerated.
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