Underground Parties: A Group Fighting and Having Fun in China.

You have to bend down to enter through a small metal door into the abandoned air raid shelter where there is a rave. The area feels vibrant with loud techno music and young people dancing with drinks and cigarettes. This scene is part of an underground rave culture in China, a place where young people can express themselves freely. The culture provides an outlet from a society where many things are controlled and predictable.

Xing Long, who works at a state company by day, becomes a DJ at night organizing these raves. These events offer him a break from his normal routine, doing a job that feels monotonous to him. Many young people in China face high pressure from society and have difficult economic challenges. They use terms like '996', 'involution', and 'lying flat' to describe their frustration.

Rave parties like the one Xing organizes offer an escape from life's pressures. Xing says he feels alive when he's at these raves, immensely enjoying the music which he discovered through a documentary. After moving back to his hometown in 2021, he realized no one was organizing these raves, so he decided to start them. He believes in the authenticity of the underground techno scene.

In the broader Chinese context, spaces for creativity and independent thought are shrinking due to increased governmental control. Independent bookstores and creative spaces are closing due to pressure, and comedians face censorship. However, these raves operate in a gray area, free from such restrictions. They take place in locations outside the normal view and approval of authorities, existing independently as an act of defiance.

Loong Wu, another rave organizer, began her journey out of boredom during the COVID-19 lockdowns. She emphasizes the simple joy found in these gatherings, where attendees can forget societal judgments. Even though the raves stay away from illegal activities, they still carry risks due to the disapproval of unlicensed social gatherings. Rave locations and details are often kept secret until the last minute to avoid detection.