Cosplayers at the subway station. Photo: Screenshot from the website

On Sunday, a young woman dressed in cosplay attire was stopped by a metro security officer in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, who asked her to remove her makeup before continuing her journey, as her dress-up was deemed to cause "discomfort" to children.

This incident has sparked widespread debate online, with some supporting the woman's right to dress freely and others siding with the metro staff, arguing that dress freedom should have limits.

In a video circulating online, the metro security officer tells the woman that her costume and makeup might cause "discomfort" to children, adding that she should remove her makeup and avoid wearing such unusual outfits on the metro.

The woman expressed her dissatisfaction, questioning why it was acceptable when entering the metro, but when she was on the train, her attire was considered unusual.She also wondered whether this was an official metro policy or merely the staff's personal decision. 

According to the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, a Hunan-based media outlet, a customer service employee of the Shenzhen Metro responded that "If the attire (of a passenger) is considered bizarre, the passenger is not allowed to board," adding that "cosplay enthusiasts are encouraged to remove their makeup before traveling."

"If a passenger's attire or appearance potentially disrupts public order, metro authorities are justified in intervening," Sun Hang, a Guangdong-based lawyer, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

However, Sun advised that such measures should be "carefully balanced to avoid excessive interference." For cosplay enthusiasts, the lawyer suggested a case-by-case assessment based on their specific costumes and makeup to determine an appropriate response.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the hashtag #AGuangdong-based cosplayer was asked to remove makeup when taking the subway has garnered more than 43 million views and 8,500 comments on Sina Weibo, China's X-like platform.

Supporters of the woman argued that the metro staff overstepped their boundaries, noting that her appearance did not contain violent or scary elements and should not have been restricted.

"Her behavior does not disrupt the normal operation of the metro. The staff is overreacting," said one Weibo user.

"If wearing a wig and makeup is deemed frightening, does this mean all cosplayers attending conventions can't use the public metro?" another user echoed.

Some netizens expressed their support to the staff's decision, saying that the woman's appearance was "frightening" and could cause discomfort to other passengers.

"Freedom of dress and expression must be exercised responsibly in public spaces," wrote one commenter. "Her makeup was indeed quite scary, and I think the staff handled it politely."

This is not the first time that cosplay attire has caused controversy on Chinese metros. In January, a girl wearing an anime costume with a hat and purple wig was stopped by metro security personnel in Shanghai.

The Shanghai Metro responded that passengers wearing cosplay attire are allowed to ride the subway. However, if their makeup and costumes are likely to cause discomfort, panic, crowd gathering, or affect the safety of metro operations, the staff will intervene and advise against it.

"We have to take into account that subways often have a large flow of people, and scary makeup can easily attract onlookers and even cause panic. The elderly and children are more easily frightened. Once crowding and chaos occur, everyone's life, health and safety will be threatened, and the consequences could be disastrous," Sun noted.

The lawyer pointed out that personal freedom cannot be achieved at the cost of infringing public order. Public order is not easy to maintain, and it requires everyone to give up some personal freedom. Absolute freedom does not exist.

"We have relevant rules and regulations for taking the subway, and subway staff manage according to the law and regulations. When taking the subway, passengers must abide by the relevant laws and regulations and dress in a standardized manner to maintain public order and to create a comfortable environment in the carriage," Sun added.

Global Times