Halloween is approaching, and for many bars and clubs, it’s the second biggest night of the year after New Year’s Eve. Over the years, China has warmed up to the holiday because kids love to dress up, and people love to be someone they would never be in their daily lives.

Last year was the first Halloween that people were allowed to go out and have fun in China after three years of cancellations because of COVID-19. Punters dressed up as everyday Halloween characters like Marvel superheroes or monsters, but a few wore Hazmat suits, dressed as doctors with extra large Q-tips, or showed up with blank pieces of paper, symbolizing politically sensitive protesting.

Chinese officials didn’t enjoy the politically sensitive costumes, which is considered protesting in a place where that is illegal. This year, Shanghai police have been cracking down on the Halloween fun. In the heart of the city, police have set up barricades to prevent people from gathering and told bar and pub owners not to have any events with bizarre clothing. One resident took her six-year-old out with a pirate hat on, and the police told the mother to take it off her child.

While there has been no official announcement about the cancellation of Halloween in China, it seems that once Chinese Netizens made it a trending topic on Weibo, China’s biggest Internet platform, it was soon suppressed by online censors.