Children attend a Halloween party in Shenyang, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province on Saturday. Photo: Courtesy of the Sun Valley Vineyard

The Halloween on Saturday provided Chinese people with an opportunity to vent off some energy and enjoy themselves as China's COVID-19 situation remains stable. A variety of events including electronic music festivals and trick or treating for children could be found all around China on Saturday night.

In Beijing, numerous groups of young people, dressed as ghosts, vampires and other characters, gathered at clubs and restaurants at popular locations such as Beijing Workers Stadium and the Sanlitun shopping center to attend electronic music festivals.

A ticket for these Halloween electronic music parties costs around 90 yuan ($13.45) and the supply of tickets was limited due to epidemic restrictions. Organizers of the parties began promoting the events and hanging up pumpkin lanterns a few days ago. 

They also prepared face masks and monster costumes for customers to keep in the tradition of Halloween. 

Some Beijing residents told the Global Times on Saturday that the atmosphere was enthusiastic at these parties. One club named Heaven in Beijing even extended its party to Sunday after tickets for the Saturday event sold out.

"I had thought that the epidemic would hurt the enthusiasm of some people, but the moment I stepped into the club, a wave of heat and loud noise told me I was very wrong. The controlled COVID-19 situation has allowed young people like us to enjoy our night life again," one Beijing resident surnamed Feng, 26, told the Global Times.

She added that heading out with friends on Halloween is one of her hobbies. 

"Every year I attend different celebrations. There are always ample choices for me. Like last year, I went to a night show at Happy Valley [an amusement park in Beijing] dressed as a witch."

In Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province, costume parties and electronic music festivals were also held in clubs. One of them invited two top overseas DJs from Belgium, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, for its event.

For those who are not old enough to head to the club, many shopping malls and even residential communities also organized Halloween events such as trick-or-treating and game events. 

Many children and their parents went to the Sun Valley Vineyard in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province to spend their Halloween.

There was a costume competition and the winner would take home a prize, said an employee at the vineyard. 

The organizer also held a Tarot divination activity, with a staff member playing a witch and reading customers' fortunes. 

In some Beijing's communities, parents took their kids trick-or-treating, a traditional Halloween activity in the US and some other Western countries. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday his children will not go trick-or-treating on Halloween due to COVID-19 restrictions, but may instead hunt "Easter-style" for candy around their house.

The Halloween party held at the White House was criticized amid the serious spread of coronavirus in the US. Some netizens called the event "immoral" as US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania and some kids attending to the activity were seen not wearing face masks. 

"It is another super spreader event," one netizen wrote.

Celebration activities in China also saw some criticism from netizens and parents. Whether it is proper to celebrate a Western festival became a controversial topic on Chinese social media platforms. 

One parent condemned a training center in Mianyang, Southwest China's Sichuan Province for holding Halloween activities on Saturday. The parent said this was a Western festival and training institutes should educate children more about patriotism, according to a report from Vista.

Some netizens agreed and said the educational institute should not celebrate such festivals. "Celebrating these western festivals might lead children to care more about the western culture. Our children should know more about Chinese festivals," one Chinese Sina Weibo user commented.