Snail Awards bring slow progress in China’s fight against bureaucracy

The shaming of tardy local government departments with Snail Awards has proven a hit on the Chinese internet

The public has grown used to making multiple trips to accomplish even the simplest task. Now the worm has turned

Reading Time:3 minutes

Published: 4:30pm, 29 Aug 2020Updated: 4:40pm, 29 Aug 2020

Awards usually champion the virtues of speed and efficiency; just imagine if instead they recognised sloth and inefficiency.

That is exactly what a county in China’s eastern Zhejiang province did this month when it handed out a “Snail Award” to two government units, in an unvarnished critique of their performance. Needless to say, it was a hit with the public.

Local media said the water conservancy bureau of Jinyun county in Lishui City, and the Shuning Hospital relocation project had been “honoured” for their slow progress and inefficiency.

Viral videos showed embarrassed representatives of the two units receiving their awards on stage in a ceremony described as “completely lacking in applause”.

Many of the videos were dubbed over with canned laughter and quirky music. They showed the representatives holding a framed drawing of a dazed, bewildered-looking mollusc. A few videos even superimposed a cartoon snail crawling its way laboriously across the screen.

Chinese internet users had a field day, with many eagerly suggesting the award should be introduced in their hometowns too. One urged the recipients to display the award with pride, while another commented: “If you think Zhejiang’s [government units] are bad, come to Shandong.”

Representatives of the government units receive their Snail Awards in a ceremony “lacking in applause”. Photo: Internet

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