In September 1947, the Kuomintang central government issued a "ban on dancing", on the grounds of "rectifying discipline" and "suppressing chaos and building the country". At that time, the number of dancers in Shanghai exceeded 3,000, most of whom came from poor families. If the ballroom is closed, they will lose their way to life.
On January 31, 1948, the "Ban on Dance" landed in Shanghai. On the same day, more than 3,000 dancers, musicians and other practitioners from 28 dance halls took to the streets to protest against the "ban on dance".
Because the Shanghai Social Bureau was the enforcement organ of the "ban on dance", it was the first to bear the brunt of the march.
At 3:30 p.m. on January 31, 1948, thousands of people in large trucks flocked to the Social Bureau Square to protest, but Wu Kaixian, director of the Shanghai Social Bureau, avoided him.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, the two sides clashed, and the dancers rushed into the social bureau building and destroyed the glass doors and windows, electric lights, telephones, documents, tables and chairs. The sparse police were scattered, and Wu Kai slipped away through the back door at first sight.
Dancers stormed into the Social Bureau building. By the way, they all seem to have the same hairstyle.
Thousands of mouths roared in unison, "We're going to eat!" "Wu Kai get out first!" "The government bans dancing, we starve to death!" , shouts came and went.
Smashed inside the Social Bureau building.
The Songshan Police Station heard the news and rushed to the rescue of 20 people, and the dancers took up sticks as weapons to confront the police
The police were dispersed again.
Yu Shuping, chief of the Shanghai Municipal Police, hurriedly dispatched all the criminal police and the special anti-riot team to the Social Bureau at five o'clock. Hundreds of policemen armed with shields and guns surrounded the hate-filled dancers.
The dancer who stormed into the social bureau building.
Under the threat of force by the police, the clashes gradually subsided, and more than 400 dancers were detained. More than 30 dancers and more than 50 police officers were injured. The picture shows the scene outside the social bureau building, and the documents are scattered on the ground.
The picture shows the dancers who are smashing up the social bureau. Under pressure from all sides, the Nanjing authorities had to announce the lifting of the ban on dance on March 31, 1948.
The picture shows the dancers who are smashing up the social bureau. On July 23, 1948, 57 dancers, musicians and other dance hall practitioners, including Shen Jiejie, Tan Pei'e, Yu Zhiqin, Sun Zhimin, Meng Yan, and Jin Meihong, were sentenced to 3-5 months each, and 18 were suspended.