Shanghai authorities denied Thursday that they had scaled up an administrative campaign to quell a pajamas-wearing phenomenon in public, months before the city hosts the World Expo.
Scenes of people wearing sluggish cotton outfits – mostly rich and bold in colors, and printed with flowers or cartoon characters – strolling through streets and public places such as stores, supermarkets and banks, seems to have made Shanghai, the economic hub of the mainland, stand out and amuse visitors.
Wearing pajamas in public "goes against the international practice of social ritual," a press officer with the municipal government, who gave his surname as Yang, told the Global Times, saying that efforts to phrase out pajamas on the streets have been ongoing for years with numerous meetings and campaigns held to address the issue.
LED public boards in downtown areas, for instance, have been seen advocating not wearing pajamas in public.
But the suggestions haven't carried any punitive measures for those insisting on wearing PJs, Yang stressed.
Shen Guofang, a Shanghai community officer, was tasked in July with persuading residents not to wear pajamas in public,
China Newsweek reported in its latest issue dated next Monday.
It was part of the official campaign of "Leaving pajamas at home and becoming a civilized host of the World Expo," the magazine reported.
"It's about the face of our nation," Shen was quoted as saying. (Global Times)
