Posted on 10/30/2006 5:47:55 PM PST by Decombobulator
Chinese appear not to have warmed to a "free hugs" campaign aimed at cheering up strangers by hugging them on the street, with some huggers even being hauled away by police for questioning, media said on Monday.
The campaign hit the streets of Beijing, Changsha and Xian this weekend, with participants opening their arms to embrace passers-by and brandishing cards saying "free hugs", "care from strangers", "refuse to be apathetic", the Beijing News said.
In the capital, police moved in and took away four huggers briefly for questioning, baffled by their wacky, Western activities on a busy city-centre shopping street.
In the ancient capital of Xian, home to the terracotta warriors, no more than 20 people, mostly children, had volunteered for the free hugs in two hours.
"Passers-by showed interest and curiosity, stopped and asked, but most of them walked away after hearing the explanation," Xinhua news agency said, quoting a local newspaper.
"Embracing is a foreign tradition. Chinese are not accustomed to this," a man named Li, a Xi'an citizen, was quoted as saying.
The ancient city of Changsha, capital of Hunan province, fared better, a local affairs website reported.
"Though some people refused (to be hugged), I hugged 20 people in one minute," one girl was quoted as saying.
The Free Hugs campaign started in Australia and gained fame with a music video this year.
With a billion plus people? I believe touching is outlawed.
Guess they'll have to try something a little "friendlier".
That's a shame. Chinese people are really cute ; D
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
I think in some places to check into a hotel room with a person of the opposite sex you have to be able to document that you're MARRIED to them...
**no more than 20 people, mostly children, had volunteered for the free hugs in two hours.**
That's adorable. Too bad the groanups are too stoic.
Apparently in the PRC it's a "Free BodySLAM Campaign"..!
hugs not drugs
????
I wonder how many of the designated huggers had money thrown at them instead.
So, this is what Deval Patrick plans to do with all of the serial killer criminals he pardons and all of the serial rapists he pardons just as soon as they are released into the general public. Thanks for the warning.
Interesting.
In my experience . . . they are OK with folks they know closely. Strangers have to be viewed with suspicion on a list of variables for a list of reasons.
After two decades of economic development, there are a lot more strangers in China's cities. People move in and out of neighborhoods constantly today. General sense of personal safety has declined, particularly in major transportation hubs like Shanghai and Beijing. If I were a parent, I wouldn't want my kid to give free hugs to utter strangers on a busy shopping street either.
Quite reasonable to me, too.
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