SHANGHAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Halloween revellers thronged central Shanghai late on Tuesday night, with some dressed in costumes that poked fun at China's strict COVID-19 curbs in a rare showcase of free expression as police looked on.
Celebrations in the Chinese financial hub began on the weekend, culminating on Tuesday in a large crowd of mostly young people that gathered around a popular bar area, according to onlookers and social media posts.
"The 'dabai', COVID-19 testing, A-share market...that Shanghai people dressed up as are all elements that speak to the trauma of the times and traces of history.
Public critiques of government policies are rare in China, where authorities have been cracking down on free expression.
Some party goers also showed up with blank sheets of paper stuck to their clothes, a key symbol of last year's protests, other social media posts showed.
Persons:
Lu Xun, Brenda Goh, Casey Hall, Eduardo Baptista, Michael Perry
Organizations:
Reuters, Weibo, Thomson
Locations:
SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China, Beijing