“Secret Police” Jin Yi Wei Spotted at China’s High-Speed Rail Stations, Terrifying Citizens

[Applause] the Sacred City of L young cordially welcomes her highness the princess back to the city luy Yang welcomes you the Sacred City of luy Yang cordially welcomes His Highness the Crown Prince back to the city on the eve of the Chinese New Year a surge of Migrant workers returning home via High-Speed Rail is observed across various locations recently a video of a group of University students dressed as Ming dynast Imperial guards greeting passengers returning home at the luy Yang High-Speed Rail Station went viral on social media sparking heated public discussions some view this act as disrespectful to history even branding it as a display of ignorance and lack of culture others argue it's a clever interpretation of ancient historical and cultural Traditions capable of engaging more young people and showcasing local culture so what's really happening here on the afternoon of January 28th elephant news from Hunan released a waybo video titled post 2000s dress as Imperial guards welcome everyone returning home it's reported that a group of gen Z University students dress as Ming Dynasty Imperial guards at the ly Yang High-Speed Rail Station to greet returning migrant workers or Travelers they aim to generate buzz and attract attention to L Yang's cultural tourism industry according to reports this activity is part of louang metros welcome guests initiative launched in response to the approaching Chinese New Year Metro Staff interact with visitors while dressed in Hanam Fu and distribute creative cultural gifts helping to draw external interest in Lu's cultural tourism when female passengers appear the students acting as Imperial guards loudly announce the Sacred City of luo Yang cordially welcomes her highness the princess back to the city drawing many Spectators Mr Zo who acted as one of the guards revealed all of us volunteers are gen Z University students typically working from 2: p.m. to 6:30 p.m. we aim not only to welcome tourists but also our friends returning for the new year after a hard year they come back to our warm welcome feeling the warmth in their hearts we find this very meaningful however many people find the use of Imperial guards as a theme for the L young highspeed rail station event peculiar as the Imperial guards with a secret police and intelligence agency of China's Ming Dynasty answering directly to the emperor and tasked with thoroughly investigating corrupt officials their Authority overriding all others historically the Imperial guards symbolize abuse of power they use torture during interrogations of political dissidents corruption cases and often create an atmosphere of Terror typically they wore uniforms adorned with flying fish patterns and carried embroidered spring knives the so-called flying fish uniform which features a four-claw flying fish pattern was an ancient Chinese garment bestowed only by the emperor worn exclusively by Unix and high ranking officials close to the emperor however in ancient China except for the Imperial guards Ordinary People rarely saw these high-ranking officials therefore this creates the association of the Flying Fish uniforms with these Imperial guards yet reactions to their portrayal of the Imperial guards are polarized following the video's release some Chinese angrily criticize their ignorance and lack of culture in the comment section some netizens remark that while the intention of the students to warm the hearts of visitors was clear understanding the true nature of the Imperial guards would likely not bring warmth but rather a chill this commentator also mentioned that whether by individual or officials a deeper understanding of the historical background of the characters being portrayed is crucial in such an act otherwise it could be counterproductive another person expressed shock as some University students lack of awareness awareness stating that they might not know what the Imperial guards were simply thinking they were embracing traditional Culture by wearing ancient costumes conversely many younger Chinese said that those who disparage the Hunan University students are the ones who are truly lacking culture they insisted that the Flying Fish uniform is a traditional Chinese garment evolved from the zun ceremonial garment with a flying fish pattern embroidery symbolizing Prosperity promotion and good fortune the Flying Fish uniform was not exclusively warned by the Imperial guards besides the Imperial guards were not only a military and political intelligence agency but also served as the emperor's personal guards the royal guard and a Justice Squad making their greeting of guests at the highspeed station a grand gesture of hospitality some netizens even argued that despite the Flying Fish uniforms negative reputation in the Ming Dynasty its aesthetic appeal and the dignity it bestowed upon men cannot be denied emphasizing that in a modern society prejudice against these garments is unwarranted however these comments Overlook the fact that the Public's fear today is not of the Flying Fish uniform itself but of the identity of the Imperial guards as secret police in recent years China's economy faces a downturn and its wolf Warrior diplomacy has drawn International backlash with an increase in domestic social conflicts the Chinese Communist party has turned to espionage as a governance strategy a significant number of National Security Personnel are deployed to monitor public speech and people's movements with amendments to the Espionage law introducing 10 new scenarios that could constitute National Security crimes this situation has left a populace in a state of anxiety fearing secret police arrests and interrogations with official encouragement a flood of glorified spy themed films and TV shows has emerged in recent years including dramas about the Imperial guards that portray cont conscientious low-ranking members struggling between survival and moral Integrity blurring the negative and reprehensible aspects of the Imperial guards history the Imperial guards a concept Laden with blood tears and fear throughout history are simplified in the new era into mere costume guards becoming an empty concept and purely Scenic spectacle even a symbol of beauty however this does not mean that the imperial guards as a whole are viewed positively nor should they be trivial ized by officials as simply people in Imperial Guard costumes welcoming locals back to their hometowns even Professor Yu yanu from the school of history and culture at shaan SHI Normal University after viewing the video couldn't help but ask what were they thinking being greeted by a group of spies would you feel warmth in a video program on January 30th Chen poong a political commentator reiding in the United States stated that if these University students acted spontaneously it might be due to ignorance of History the Imperial guards were the embodiment of bloody and deadly power struggles within the palace and these Elite guards were known for their ruthless killing how could there be any sense of warmth Chen suggested another possibility their insensitivity to current realities people nowadays fear the various Espionage agencies under she's regime with the Imperial guards becoming a synonym for these agencies such as a public Security National Security and the social work Department which even promoted the ma era Fang Chow experience mobilizing spies among the populace including student spies however the Ming Dynasty did not avoid its downfall despite its elaborate Espionage system instead the Imperial guards disbanded after the Dynasty's collapse yet Chen also pointed out that these students might have been officially organized to serve a stability maintenance role before the new year psychologically intimidating returning locals pretending to K care for the populace in reality signifies the ccp's undercover surveillance in a different guise in recent years the Chinese Communist party has proposed to promote the integration of the cultural industry with tourism and other Industries as a new model for vigorously expanding tertiary Industries cities across the country are brainstorming ways to attract visitors and narrate their historical and cultural stories better there have been many successful examples of cities becoming famous such as Xian tongue paradise and Harbins ice and snow world as competition among regions intensifies some cities are eager to promote their unique features to boost the tourism industry and Revitalize their economies from stagnation their marketing and promotional strategies are entirely subject to Trends without considering the long-term aims this often led to issues like theme oversaturation unclear positioning and cultural sites in name only with minimal authentic it in recent years many have now been abandoned BYU folk culture Village in Len County Shan is one such example benefiting from the renowned novel white deer plain which is adapted into movies and TV dramas the bou folk culture Village emerged amidst the popularity of these adaptations however just four years later shops closed and visitor numbers plummeted leading to demolition of this cultural Village which Spann 200 acres and cost 350 million un to build another example is a fuan Haan life cultural Industrial Park funeral services and burials are part of the traditional folk culture as times change developing new Services is Justified however it is a sad reality to see this traditional culture forcibly commercialized by businessmen who appealing to human emotions sell earns for thousands and tombstones for tens of thousands ultimately turning it into to an irresistible industry with exorbitant profits compared to individual cultural industry projects cultural industrial parks require Investments ranging from several hundred million to billions however most Parks struggle to turn a profit shortly after their completion typically taking over 5 years to break even in recent years projects frequently become unfinished due to overambitious goals and broken Capital chains such as ino's Duan County Duan County in gu Joe started preparing for the cultural tourism industry in 2013 with a total planned investment of 12 billion Y and covering an area of 18,000 Acres this included projects once considered benchmarks for Duan County's cultural tourism such as a Duan Legend Dream City film and TV City and the world's number one water office building costing up to 200 million un however they ultimately made headlines for debts exceeding 40 billion un leading to the downfall of both a county party secretary and the county mayor alongside the booming cultural tourism industry is AR rise of Chinese Han Fu marking a new trend among young people Han fu is a traditional style of clothing worn by the Han Chinese on social media discussions about Han Fu remain popular short videos themed around Han Fu on various video platforms are beloved by nens with some on Billy Billy garnering over a million views as the Han Fu Trend heats up coupled with the Airing of TV dramas frequently set in ancient China many have acquired sets as Collectibles some enthusiasts even wear Han Fu as their daily attire the Han Fu craze has also driven the development of related Industries with China's profound culture as a backdrop Han Fu has brought considerable profits to businesses the 2022 to 2023 China Han Fu industry status and consumer Behavior data research report released by imdia research shows that the Chinese h Fu Market is rapidly developing with a market size reaching 12.5 billion UN in 2022 and is expected to reach 19 billion yen by 2025 with an annual growth rate of 13.2% the report indicates that in the first quarter of 20123 the Han Fu Production base in Shandon County achieved sales of 1 billion un setting a historical new high for the same period comparing physical stores and e-commerce platforms many Hanam Fu enthusiasts have turned their hobby into careers by handcrafting ancient style jewelry opening tow Bell stores or physical shops online purchases of Han Fu offer a wide variety with prices ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of un for a set in contrast customized Han Fu in physical stores can cost much more from hundreds to thousands or even tens of thousands of Yen with different materials Styles and embroidery techniques affecting the price surveys show that nearly 70 % of consumers purchase Han Fu through online shopping platforms like tbal with a majority of purchases ranging between 100 and 500 un consumers buy hum Fu three to five times every six months making up the largest proportion today many Chinese Scenic spots have become the primary place for wearing Han Fu with many enthusiasts believing that the ancient Chinese Parks perfectly showcase the elegant and flowing beauty of Han Fu the scenic areas complement Han Fu well and sites featured in videos often go viral on Chinese social media attracting many tourists to visit and check in seeing the impact of Han Fu on the tourism Market an increasing number of scenic areas and cities are hosting events like the flower morning festival and Han Fu Festival to attract young people who love Han Fu Han Fu enjoys popularity in China yet recently A peculiar trend has emerged among hung Fu fans social media has seen numerous Chinese people wearing Han Fu on the streets of foreign countries inviting others to guess which country they are from while it's everyone's freedom to wear what they want in public the fact that Chinese people enjoy showcasing this traditional attire to other countries is noteworthy for those unfamiliar with Chinese history it's common to guess incorrectly when asked given hanu similarity to Korean hak and Japanese kimono China with its 12 dynasties and 56 ethnic groups has countless traditional costumes and without specific study even Chinese people might not recognize all traditional attire conversely Chinese people might not recognize traditional attire from other countries apart from obvious ones such as Scottish Kilts how many other countries traditional costumes can they name yet when these interviewed foreigners mistake Han Fu for Japanese kimono Han Fu fans become agitated and emphasize that their attires Chinese Hanam Fu even claiming it to be the Pinnacle of world fashion China exhibits a double standard regarding wearing traditional attire from one's own country abroad while condoning nationalists wearing Han Fu abroad for cultural export it prevents people within China from wearing traditional attire from other countries in 2022 a girl in suo was stopped by police and taken to the police station for provoking trouble simply for wearing a kimono and taking photos on a Japanese style Street in sujo similarly in March 2023 a woman wearing a kimono and taking photos under cherry blossoms in nanjing's Ancient jiming Temple received a complaint from a male tourist last year China announced draft regulations explicitly requiring people not to wear attire in public places that hurt feelings of the Chinese Nation penalties include Detention of 5 to 10 days or a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 un for minor offenses for more severe cases it is Detention of 10 to 15 days with a possible fine of up to 5,000 un this means young Chinese people cannot wear traditional attire from other countries especially Japanese kimonos on Chinese streets not even cosplayers attending anime festivals in terms of cultural promotion Chinese people have always advocated for defending their history and culture while preventing the infiltration of other country's cultures however in the incident of Hunan's Imperial guard's welcoming guests it's evident that most nationalists have only a super ficial understanding of their history and culture they believe that by wielding the sword of traditional culture under the banner of patriotism many will come to their defense arguing isn't it just a piece of clothing if it looks good why take it so seriously and even insulting those who criticize them as old-fashioned and superstitious yet without taking their own country's history and culture seriously how could they qualify for cultural export abroad or claim to be Patriots this indifference to historical cultural heritage contrast starkly with the desire to defend it illustrating the contradictions within the Chinese psyche