Last year, Halloween in Shanghai took on a life of its own.
Renamed as “All Memes Day” (万梗节), young people transformed this traditional Western celebration into a showcase of Chinese creativity, satire, and social commentary.
It became a playful outlet for people to express themselves, and vent their frustrations at everyday life.
The streets of Shanghai were a stage for imaginative cosplay, featuring costumes of celebrities like Austin Li (李佳琪) — who had faced public criticism earlier that year — to satirical takes on the tough graduate employment market, and the gruelling “996” work schedules in big tech companies.
Even full-body hazmat suits “dabai” (大白) made appearances, offering an ironic nod to the authorities’ zero-COVID policy which had abruptly ended earlier in 2023.
It sparked a sensation on social media, enhancing Shanghai's appeal among young people:
"No wonder it’s Shanghai" and "only Shanghai can be so confident, open, and inclusive." Some even commented, "Seeing Shanghai's level of inclusivity made me realise the gap between my small hometown and this international metropolis.
I am determined to work hard to go to Shanghai."
“不愧是上海”“只有上海才能这么自信开放包容”，有人甚至留言，“看到上海这么大的包容度，我才意识到家乡小县城和国际大都市的差距，下决心奋斗去上海”。[2]
Media outlets, like Jiemian News, which is partly state-owned, were impressed, claiming the celebrations were:
A true expression of national confidence and cultural confidence.
真正的民族自信和文化自信。
And even the Liberation Daily (解放日报), the main Communist Party mouthpiece of Shanghai, praised the celebrations:
The Halloween festivities are a testament to how international Shanghai is. There is no need to be overly sensitive about celebrating ‘foreign holidays’.
Implementing a blanket ban is not the path an open and inclusive city should take. Next year, I hope to see young people continue to have fun at Halloween.
万圣节狂欢是上海这座城市国际化程度的注脚，不必对“过洋节”过分敏感。一刀切关掉不是开放包容城市要选的路径，明年的万圣节，我想继续看到年轻人玩得开心。 [3]
Following the excitement of last year, in the lead up to Halloween in 2024, there were playful discussions in the media about what costumes to expect, and even offering ideas on what to wear.
But as Halloween approached, news broke that the Shanghai authorities would prohibit "dabai" costumes. And soon after that, rumours circulated that all street cosplay would be banned.
Once again, “Shanghai Halloween” (上海万梗节) topped Weibo’s trending list, but not because of costumed revellers sharing street cosplay selfies.
Instead, it was driven by people asking the question:
Why is Halloween banned in Shanghai this year?
今年上海怎么不让过万圣节？ [3]
On Saturday, October 26, the evening that large-scale outdoor celebrations were planned to take place in Shanghai, the police announced increased patrols in popular areas for Halloween gatherings, including Huangpu District, Zhongshan Park, and Julu Road.
Anyone wearing costumes or Halloween makeup would first be asked to leave and, if necessary, escorted away, and required to remove their costumes (谁发现，谁带离，谁卸妆).
Despite the restrictions, young partygoers found ways to adapt, heading to other locations, like the Joy City Mall in Jing'an District.
But they soon faced crowd controls there too.
According to an online influencer broadcasting live from Shanghai, who goes by the name Zhè Yīng (这英)—a playful parody of singer and music judge Nà Yīng (那英), who shot to fame during the Halloween celebrations in 2023—celebrating Halloween in Shanghai in 2024 was nearly impossible:
Currently, the only places in Shanghai where people can dress up are Disneyland and Happy Valley Theme Park.
In other areas of the city, especially on the streets, it is '100% not allowed'.
目前上海能变装出现的地方，就只有迪士尼和欢乐谷主题乐园，市内其他地方，尤其是市区街道上‘百分之百不可以’。[3]
So, for most people celebrating Halloween on the streets of Shanghai this year, it ended in disappointment.
But for others, they continued to adapt, travelling as far as Hangzhou, around 1 hour by high speed train from Shanghai.
At that moment, Hangzhou opened its friendly arms to them. They had a great time, and places like Zhongshan North Road were full of people.
这时候杭州向他们张开了友善的怀抱。他们在杭州玩得很开心，昨晚的杭州中山北路几乎是人满为患。[1]
Celebrations were allowed to continue in Hangzhou, as well as other cities, providing a stage for a range of creative costumes, many of which were parodies on themes we've explored in this newsletter in the last year.
Young people dressed up as exhausted "workhorse" 牛马 employees exploited by their employers.
Costumes were also worn by groups of people, for example, as a four-piece “pre-packaged meal” 预制菜 with “China chic” (国潮) packaging, a cheap black plastic spoon, a grilled sausage, and imitation brand drinks.
Others dressed as 'academic garbage' (学术垃圾), donning black plastic bags on their heads—a critique of the high demands placed on postgraduate and PhD students to produce influential papers, often resulting in work that lacks substance merely to meet requirements.
It wasn't all digs at the authorities, big companies, and modern society either. Some costumes were just unexpected and funny.
One featured three people dressed as Huawei's new tri-fold Mate XT phone, complete with the slogan 'No matter how you fold it, it looks good' (怎么折都有面) from the commercial.
So the spirit of China's All Memes Day survived in Hangzhou in 2024, as one social media comment put it:
From online celebrities to famous moments in variety shows, from trending topics to popular domestic dramas... this is not a Halloween celebration at all; it’s simply a year-end gathering by the people and for the people.
Rather than saying that there is too much pent-up emotion to release, it’s more accurate to say that they dress up as others to express their own feelings.
从网红明星到综艺名场面，从热点事件到内娱神剧……这哪是什么万圣节啊，这简直是一场发自民间的年终总结大会，是真正的百姓严选。
与其说大家是积累了太多的疯要发，不如说是披着别人的皮，诉说着自己的心事罢了。[4]
But, how long will it last?
That's what we're exploring this week!
🎧 Podcast Preview: In this week’s Member Podcast, we dive into the costumes and memes seen in Hangzhou, highlighting the subtle differences between 装 (zhuāng) and 妆 (zhuāng), which sound alike but have distinct meanings. We’ll also cover various ways to say “dress up,” including cos, 变装 (biànzhuāng), 乔装 (qiáozhuāng), 奇装异服 (qí zhuāng yì fú), and 乔装打扮 (qiáozhuāng dǎ bàn), with explanations on how to use them in conversation. Tune in at the 8-minute mark to master these expressions and confidently discuss Halloween in Mandarin!
Favourite Five
1. cos
cosplay
看到消息，说今年万圣节上海不允许街头cos - I heard that this year, street cosplay is not allowed in Shanghai for Halloween. [2]
Note: One of those phrases in Chinese imported from English. Used as a noun, or verb. We discuss more in the Member Podcast.
Related:
coser - cosplayer
2. 沪吹 hù chuī
to boast about Shanghai
去年的盛况也引发“沪吹”的新高潮 - Last year's frenzy celebration led to a new wave of "Shanghai hype". [2]
3. 偃旗息鼓 yǎn qí xī gǔ
come to a halt
但随着上海的封控，“沪吹”偃旗息鼓 - With the lockdown in Shanghai, the "Shanghai hype" died down. [2]
Note: Direct translation, "lower the flags, silence the drums" of the battlefield.
4. 妖魔鬼怪 yāo mó guǐ guài
monsters and demons, bizarre creatures
反对者将万圣节视为西方文化入侵，批评在街头狂欢的人是“妖魔鬼怪” - Opponents see Halloween as a Western cultural invasion and call those celebrating in the streets as "monsters and demons". [3]
5. 乘兴而来，败兴而归 chéng xìng ér lái, bài xìng ér guī
arrive with excitement, leave in disappointment
上海万圣节乘兴而来，败兴而去 - I came to Shanghai’s Halloween with excitement but left in disappointment. [2]
More: Read more in tomorrow's Sinica Phrase of the Week
Related:
扫兴 sǎo xìng - disappointed
Consuming the Conversation
Useful words
6. 气馁 qì něi
discouraged, lose heart
可是年轻的网友们并没有气馁，他们的狂欢热情依旧在 - However, young netizens did not lose heart; their festive spirit remained strong. [1]
7. 放飞 fàng fēi
free, liberate
脱下所有的面具，真正放飞自己的灵魂 - Take off all the masks and truly free your soul. [1]
8. 管控 guǎn kòng
control, regulate
去年的cos圣地巨鹿路已被管控 - Last year's cosplay hotspot, Julu Road, has been taken control of by the authorities. [2]
Note: a specific phrase which refers to control exerted by authorities
9. 讽刺 fěng cì
satire, mockery
有人cos大白，被称最佳创意，有人cos A股进行讽刺 - The most creative cosplay came from someone who dressed up as Dabai, while others cosplayed the A-shares to make a satirical statement. [2]
10. 混搭 hùn dā
mix-and-match
南京万象天地则是一派中西混搭 - Revellers at Nanjing’s MixC World dressed up in a mix-and-match of Chinese and Western elements. [3]
11. 喝茶 hē chá
have tea, be questioned (by authorities)
当事人过后在小红书澄清，自己没有被警方带走喝茶 - The coser later clarified on Xiaohongshu that he was not taken away by the police for questioning. [3]
Three-character phrases
12. 游击战 yóu jī zhàn
guerrilla warfare
变装者们转移到其他区域，和警方打起游击战 - The cosers moved to other areas in the fashion of guerrilla tactics to deal with the police. [3]
Related:
转战 zhuǎn zhàn - shift location, move to another area
13. 万梗节 wàn gěng jié
All Memes Day
眼瞅着一年一度的“中式万梗节”就要到来 - The annual "Chinese All Memes Day" is around the corner. [4]
Related:
过洋节 guò yáng jié - celebrating foreign festivals
玩梗 wán gěng - play with memes, joke around
Idioms
14. 人满为患 rén mǎn wéi huàn
overcrowded
于是网友们在杭州玩得很开心，昨晚的杭州中山北路几乎是人满为患 - Netizens enjoyed themselves in Hangzhou, and last night Zhongshan North Road was overcrowded. [1]
Related:
人声鼎沸 rén shēng dǐng fèi - bustling with noise
15. 淋漓尽致 lín lí jìn zhì
fully expressed, thoroughly
这样的快乐也只有在万圣节活动中才能得到淋漓尽致的体现 - Such joy can only be fully expressed through Halloween activities. [1]
16. 乔装打扮 qiáo zhuāng dǎ bàn
disguise, dress up
两名年轻男女因乔装打扮而被警方带到警察局 - Two young people were taken to the police station for dressing up in Halloween costumes. [3]
Note: An idiom meaning something similar to “cos” which we discuss more in the Member Podcast.
Related:
奇装异服 qí zhuāng yì fú - fancy dress
17. 忍俊不禁 rěn jùn bù jīn
unable to hold back laughter
手持魔杖的“哈利波特”向“财神爷”讨元宝，让围观民众忍俊不禁 - Seeing a "Harry Potter" holding a wand ask the "God of Wealth" for treasure, the crowd is unable to hold back their laughter. [3]
18. 昙花一现 tán huā yí xiàn
short-lived, fleeting
这些城市在明年万圣节前后也会严加管控，现在享有的自由只会是昙花一现 - These cities will tighten their control around Halloween next year, so the freedom we have now will be short-lived. [3]
19. 因噎废食 yīn yē fèi shí
to give up eating because of the fear of choking; overreacting
若因噎废食，一刀切地禁止所有活动，恐怕无助于提升城市形象、改善外国投资者信心 - If the authories simply ban all activities just to be on the safe side, it might not help improve the city's image or boost foreign investor confidence. [3]
Related:
一刀切 yì dāo qiē - one size fits all (a phrase we have discussed many times before)
20. 胆大包天 dǎn dà bāo tiān
audacious, bold beyond limits
这位胆大包天的coser就被向佐请到了直播间里，还假意威胁他不要再乱讲话 - This audacious cosplayer was invited by Xiang Zuo to his livestream, where Xiang jokingly warned him not to talk recklessly. [4]
21. 声势浩大 shēng shì hào dà
impressive momentum, grand scale
和上海相比，杭州、南京和广州等城市今年的万圣节活动声势更为浩大 - Compared to Shanghai, the Halloween events in Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Guangzhou are on a grander scale this year. [3]
Phrases
22. 防备森严 fáng bèi sēn yán
heavily guarded
如今的巨鹿路，已经被防备森严、满脸严肃的管控队伍替代 - Today, Julu Road is heavily guarded, with a serious-looking team of guards in place. [2]
Related:
戒备森严 jiè bèi sēn yán - heavily guarded; under tight security
23. 昼夜颠倒 zhòu yè diān dǎo
reversed day and night, irregular hours
年轻人们装扮成头戴黑色塑料袋的“学术垃圾”、昼夜颠倒的“牛马”打工人 - Young people dressed up as “academic trash” with black plastic bags on their heads and "workhorse" who work late into the night. [3]
24. 宣泄情感 xuān xiè qíng gǎn
emotional release
上海年轻人担心失去这个借着过节发挥创意、宣泄情感的契机 - Young people in Shanghai worry that they might no longer be able to use Halloween as an occasion to be creative and vent their pent-up emotion. [3]
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