On March 24, a fight broke out between four campus security guards and two visitors at Wuhan University after a ‘wardrobe misunderstanding.’
One man, wearing what appears to be a kimono, is shown in the video being violently pushed to the ground while his companion is restrained in a choke hold by another guard. While the security guards were under the impression one of the men was wearing a kimono, he claimed that his outfit was inspired by clothing during the Tang Dynasty.
Image via @鬼王B先生/Weibo
Watch below to see the fight go down (VPN off):
According to a statement released by Wuhan University, The two men were visiting the university’s famous Japanese cherry blossoms, a spectacle that draws swathes of picture-snapping tourists to the campus from late March to early April.
However, behind the picturesque appearance of the trees, lies historic tension. Planted in 1938 by Japanese soldiers during The Second Sino-Japanese War, the trees that produce cherry blossoms are still heavily resented by some citizens, given the atrocities that were committed during that time period.
In 2002, Japanese-style attire was banned on campus, and in 2009 a woman and her daughter were chased off university grounds for donning kimonos while visiting the cherry blossoms, according to Sixth Tone.
Opinions on the situation are divided on social media. Some netizens have posted satirical takes on the attitudes of the guards, such as “Wuhan University should also ban the teaching of modern sciences as those were invented by ‘foreign devils,’ too.” However, another user pointed out that this is a sensitive location and while “it's fine to take pictures while wearing a kimono in Japan, it’s highly inappropriate to do so in this special place.”
Meanwhile, the university defended the guard’s strong response in a statement released on their Weibo account. According to the school, unreleased security footage show the two men behaving “provocatively” and harassing a female security guard, who then called upon her colleagues for assistance. Two of the guards in the video have been reprimanded, and a reminder from the university asks“the public to abide by school regulations, behave in a civilized manner and dress appropriately.” No direct mention of the kimono was made.
[Cover image: screengrab via QQ]
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