Pearl Briefing | Pulling the plug on Guangzhou's deafening 'dancing aunties'
Proposed regulations on noise would muffle loud activities in city parks but a question mark hangs over who would enforce the rules
They're a raucous nuisance in some parts of Guangzhou and soon they might have to think twice about pumping up their boom boxes and waking the neighbours with their ear-splittingly loud music.
New draft park regulations were presented to the municipal people's congress' Standing Committee on Tuesday to pull the plug on loud activities in communal areas.
If passed, the rules would ban noisy activities from "areas" within 50 metres of a home, school or hospital. The activities would also be prohibited in parks from 1pm to 3pm and from 10pm to 8am. Anybody who breaks the rules can be fined up to 1,000 yuan (HK$1,260).
And that means Guangzhou's "dancing aunties" would have to pack up their fans and flick off the switch on their amplifiers.
Dancing in squares and parks is hugely popular among dama, or older women, who often gather in the morning or after dinner, dancing to music boomed out through loudspeakers. There's no set musical style - genres can vary from traditional Chinese dances with fans or ribbons to South Korean pop grooves.
The dancers say the activity benefits not only their physical health but also their mental well-being because it can be a good way to make friends and cheer up if they're feeling down.
But there is the problem of the noise. Residents in some areas have been fiercely critical of the way the sound stops them from relaxing, disturbs their sleep and distracts children trying to do their homework.