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Xiamen School Gets In Students’ Hair, Bans Long Hair and Fringes

Manya Koetse

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At one Xiamen school, boys cannot have hair longer than 6 mm, and girls cannot wear bangs. If students have naturally curly or light hair, they need medical documents to prove it.

The school rules of one school in the Chinese city of Xiamen have become a trending topic on Weibo. According to the rules of the Xiamen Commerce and Tourism School (厦门工商旅游学校), male students are not allowed to have hair longer than 6 mm, while girls cannot wear bangs.

Students are also not allowed to curl or dye their hair. The rules are so strict, that those with naturally curly or light hair need a document from the local hospital that proves it is natural.

The school rules, reported by The Paper on August 31, became a much-talked about topic on Sina Weibo when one student netizen recently complained about them, saying that new students would not get registered unless they cut their hair: “I feel this is an infringement of my personal rights.”

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New students who came to the school to register were shocked to discover they would not be able to enroll unless they immediately got a haircut.

According to a school employees who spoke to The Paper, the vocational school maintains these strict hairstyle rules with the future of the students in mind, not just because standardized haircuts are more welcomed by companies, but also because the school needs to guide students who “lack proper aesthetic values”.

On Weibo, the strict rules have triggered thousands of comments. The majority of netizens think the rules are ridiculous.

“6 mm hair is what you’d expect in prisons and in the army,” netizens say. “I bet it’s because the school director is bald,” one netizen responds.

“These school rules reflect the lack of individuality in Chinese schools,” one commenter writes.

“I just want to know – how is the hospital going to prove that your hair is naturally curly?”, another Weibo user comments.

Many people especially do not understand what is wrong with bangs: “What’s a schoolgirl without her fringe?!”

On the school’s official website, the Weibo hairstyle controversy has not been addressed. But one picture of the school’s sport’s team shows that for students who are already enrolled, the hairstyle rules are apparently less strict. Can you spot the fringe?

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– By Manya Koetse

©2016 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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Manya is the founder and editor-in-chief of What's on Weibo, offering independent analysis of social trends, online media, and digital culture in China for over a decade. Subscribe to gain access to content, including the Weibo Watch newsletter, which provides deeper insights into the China trends that matter. More about Manya at manyakoetse.com or follow on X.

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China Fashion & Beauty

“No Kimonos Allowed” – Ongoing Debate on Japanese Attire in China

A Chinese girl who was refused entry to a local comic convention for wearing a ‘kimono’ raised questions about whether restrictions on Japanese attire were motivated by historical sensitivities or gender bias.

Manya Koetse

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An incident from earlier in July continues to spark discussions on Chinese social media about wearing Japanese-style clothing and where to draw the line between freedom of dress and banning attire deemed too sensitive.

The incident occurred in Jinan on July 20, when a girl wearing a Japanese yukata was refused entry to a local comic convention due to her attire. A yukata is similar to a kimono but more casual and lightweight, usually worn during the summer.

A video of the incident went viral, showing the girl dressed as Nezuko Kamado, a main character in the manga series Demon Slayer. The person filming, presumably the security guard at the venue, tells the girl she cannot enter dressed in a kimono and sends her away. “We don’t allow kimonos,” he says. “This is China.”

Screenshots of the video by RFA.

Although many applaud the decision to refuse Japanese traditional clothing at the convention, some commenters express frustration over such regulations at an anime convention, given that much of anime culture originates from Japan.

“With such a rule, why even bother holding an anime convention at all? Everything comes from Japan,” one top comment said.

“This is not even normal Japanese traditional clothing; it’s cosplay,” another person wrote.

Some people, however, point out that there are more cosplay events in China where dressing in Japanese-style attire goes against the rules, and suggest that this girl should have known better.

 
Sensitive Fashion
 

This is not the first time discussions over kimono-wearing women have flared up in China. One notable incident happened in the summer of 2022, when a Chinese female cosplayer dressed in a Japanese summer kimono while taking pictures in Suzhou’s ‘Little Tokyo’ area was taken away by local police for ‘provoking trouble’ (read more).

Later, in September 2023, a draft amendment to China’s Public Security Administration Punishments Law (治安管理处罚法) to ban clothing that “hurts national feelings” also triggered social media debates about freedom of dress and cultural sensitivities.

The issue that concerned people the most was the vague definition included in the amendment, namely, “harming or hurting the spirit and feelings of the Chinese nation” (“伤害中华民族精神、感情”). Although Chinese state media indicated that the clause targets provocative actions to attract public attention, such as wearing Japanese military uniforms at sensitive sites, legal experts and social media users expressed apprehensions regarding its ambiguity, wondering who determines what qualifies as “harmful” in the end.

Among Chinese young people, cosplay (‘costume play’) has become increasingly popular in recent years. Cosplay allows people to be something they are not—a superhero, a villain, a sex bomb—sometimes Chinese, American, or Japanese. Would a change to the law prevent them from role-playing?

 
A Gender Issue
 

Some people suggest that this is not only about wearing Japanese-style clothing but also about sexist ideas in China regarding what Chinese women can or cannot wear.

One Weibo user (@我见青山多可笑) thought it was especially unfair for the girl in Jinan to be denied entry in light of another recent incident where a man wearing a t-shirt with a Rising Sun flag design visited the Unit 731 Exhibition Hall, a museum about the biological and chemical warfare atrocities committed by the Japanese in Harbin during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

That incident happened on July 14. Although other visitors at the museum took offense and photographed the man wearing the t-shirt, nobody intervened. On Weibo, wearing such a t-shirt to the war museum was seen as an act of provocation (#男子在731部队罪证陈列馆穿太阳旗图案T恤#).

A man wearing a Japanese rising sun design while visiting a museum about war atrocities committed by Japanese in Harbin.

The Weibo user wrote: “This just shows that people’s sensitivity to Japanese clothing/Japanese culture is entirely divided by gender. If it’s a woman, it’s not allowed. If it’s a guy? Absolutely fine!”

Other commenters (@超级大酵母母母) agreed, saying: “The girl wasn’t wearing a traditional kimono; it was a cosplay outfit of a character. There were many male characters in Japanese-style clothing at the convention, but security did not stop them and only stopped the girl.”

In the end, regardless of political and gender implications, Chinese cosplay fans are just worried about the future of their beloved hobby: “If kimonos are not allowed at anime conventions, then there are so many characters that can’t be cosplayed. It’s just ridiculous!”

By Manya Koetse

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

©2024 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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China Brands, Marketing & Consumers

Chinese Sun Protection Fashion: Move over Facekini, Here’s the Peek-a-Boo Polo

From facekini to no-face hoodie: China’s anti-tan fashion continues to evolve.

Manya Koetse

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It has been ten years since the Chinese “facekini”—a head garment worn by Chinese ‘aunties’ at the beach or swimming pool to prevent sunburn—went international.

Although the facekini’s debut in French fashion magazines did not lead to an international craze, it did turn the term “facekini” (脸基尼), coined in 2012, into an internationally recognized word.

The facekini went viral in 2014.

In recent years, China has seen a rise in anti-tan, sun-protection garments. More than just preventing sunburn, these garments aim to prevent any tanning at all, helping Chinese women—and some men—maintain as pale a complexion as possible, as fair skin is deemed aesthetically ideal.

As temperatures are soaring across China, online fashion stores on Taobao and other platforms are offering all kinds of fashion solutions to prevent the skin, mainly the face, from being exposed to the sun.

One of these solutions is the reversed no-face sun protection hoodie, or the ‘peek-a-boo polo,’ a dress shirt with a reverse hoodie featuring eye holes and a zipper for the mouth area.

This sun-protective garment is available in various sizes and models, with some inspired by or made by the Japanese NOTHOMME brand. These garments can be worn in two ways—hoodie front or hoodie back. Prices range from 100 to 280 yuan ($13-$38) per shirt/jacket.

The no-face hoodie sun protection shirt is sold in various colors and variations on Chinese e-commerce sites.

Some shops on Taobao joke about the extreme sun-protective fashion, writing: “During the day, you don’t know which one is your wife. At night they’ll return to normal and you’ll see it’s your wife.”

On Xiaohongshu, fashion commenters note how Chinese sun protective clothing has become more extreme over the past few years, with “sunburn protection warriors” (防晒战士) thinking of all kinds of solutions to avoid a tan.

Although there are many jokes surrounding China’s “sun protection warriors,” some people believe they are taking it too far, even comparing them to Muslim women dressed in burqas.

Image shared on Weibo by @TA们叫我董小姐, comparing pretty girls before (left) and nowadays (right), also labeled “sunscreen terrorists.”

Some Xiaohongshu influencers argue that instead of wrapping themselves up like mummies, people should pay more attention to the UV index, suggesting that applying sunscreen and using a parasol or hat usually offers enough protection.

By Manya Koetse, with contributions by Miranda Barnes

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

©2024 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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What’s on Weibo is run by Manya Koetse (@manyapan), offering independent analysis of social trends in China for over a decade. Subscribe to show your support and gain access to all content, including the Weibo Watch newsletter, providing deeper insights into the China trends that matter.

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