Hair Force One: Chinese Kids Show Patriotic Cuts With Tanks And Flags

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Posted by AI on 2025-08-29 12:58:33 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-29 14:57:47

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Pathetic or powerful? Stylists shape tiny topsites into tanks and flags as China gets parade ready with some parents protesting.

Nothing succeeds like success, they say, and bizarrely one Beijing hairdresser has honed a strong commercial edge in a somewhat controversial crop. In the lead-up to Thursday's massive military parade, starring President Xi Jinping, the arsenal of salon styles includes modeled tanks and national flags.

It's certainly eye-catching and arguably ingenious, but the nationalistic styles triggered debates on social media sites. Some parents feel the radical cuts are cute and creative, while others see the styles as disturbingly propagandistic.

One parent commented on social media app WeChat: "They are using national symbols to make money. It's ridiculous. Children should not be involved in this kind of propaganda."

Another parent, Ms. Li, said: "I find it silly. It's just a haircut, and it doesn't mean my kid is more patriotic. I didn't ask for this."

Despite the debate, the shop is booked solid, with ambitious styles costing between 200 yuan ($29) and 500 yuan ($74). The most popular designs include a map of China complete with islands in the South China Sea and a neat little tank with a hairdryer protruding from the barrel.

Customers are mostly parents who want their children to capture the look of national pride. One customer, Ms. Wang, said: "I think it's cute. My daughter loves it. She said she wants to be a soldier when she grows up."

The salon's patriotic founder, who asked not to be identified, told news agency AP that the national flag design is his favorite: "Patriotism is a kind of spirituality," he said. "Some parents come in with their kids and ask us to cut this hairstyle to get their kids involved."

In an ironic twist, some kids are not loving the cut: the founder says a few youngsters have cried over the unusual styles. Maybe a new perspective from these young Chinese citizens-in-the-making on a sometimes aggressive nationalism.

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