Sounds of silence: ‘dancing aunties’ use earphones to reduce the noise and increase the peace
- Morning group dances are popular in China but the music adds to urban clamour and can lead to fines
- A video of a group in Chongqing who wear headsets is drawing online attention and praise
A group of middle-aged women in Chongqing in southwestern China have earned praise online for making sure that their morning dance activities do not disturb passers-by – a departure from China’s usually noisy square dancers, who are commonly viewed as a public nuisance.
A clip of the women dancing in formation while wearing earphones was published on Weibo by Pear Video on Tuesday, where it attracted tens of thousands of likes and shares.
“We wear earphones so we do not disturb people going to work,” the dance group’s leader, Liu Shurong, said in the video.
Morning group dances in public parks and squares are a widespread social phenomenon in China among middle-aged women and pensioners, who use the activity to keep fit and socialise.
But the habit has sparked noise complaints from the public, and several local governments have threatened fines and detention for those who play loud music in public between certain hours.
Local authorities in Guangxi province banned public dancing and singing with musical instruments or loudspeakers in 2016, and Beijing’s municipal government banned the practice in 2017. The public use of loud audio equipment is also banned in the city of Xian, Shaanxi province.