Photo: Screenshot from Taobao

Chinese nightclub goers have discovered a new fashion - rechargeable shiny masks that can keep them safe from coronavirus while enjoying a night out. 

The surface of the masks are made of fiber materials and LED lamp beads, according to customer service staff from shops on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao reached by the Global Times on Thursday. 

A switch affiliated with the masks allows people to adjust the colors and intensity of the LED lights.

The masks have been on the market for a long time, according to some netizens. But they only recently become known on Chinese social media platforms such as Sina Weibo and Douyin as more people seek to protect themselves from the coronavirus while enjoying nightlife.

The Global Times found that an LED props shop named Ruixing on Taobao sold more than 1,150 shiny masks over the past 30 days.

Photo: Screenshot from Sina Weibo

On Thursday, the hashtag "shiny masks" on the Weibo social media platform had been viewed nearly 80 million times as of 2 pm. Not only did many nightclubbers say the masks are cool, some fans also said they can use the masks instead of glow sticks when going to their idols' concerts. 

"No need to worry about safety when going to concerts!" said one Weibo user.

A cluster infection in early May from clubs and bars at a multicultural neighborhood in Itaewon in the South Korean capital Seoul led to more than 200 people infected with the coronavirus as of May 24, according to media reports.

A customer service staff member on Taobao named Silva said their masks can block droplets in the air as they contain a filter made of melt spray cloth, which is the main material used in medical masks. 

Droplets are one of the main transmission methods for the novel coronavirus.  

The filter is also able to filter PM2.5 particles, another staff member told the Global Times on Thursday.   

The Global Times found that price of the masks ranges from 35-50 yuan ($4.9-7.0) each on Taobao, but custom-made shiny masks can be as expensive as 100 yuan each.