Students at one Chinese university are facing some harsh consequences for simply holding hands.
Qingdao Binhai University, located in Qingdao, Shandong Province, is a private institution that prohibits intimate physical contact between students of the opposite sex.
Founded in 1992, the school was initially called Qingdao Binhai Vocational College before its upgrade in 2004.
The university is particularly against affectionate activities such as holding hands and hugging in public. According to a student affairs manager, such restrictions had already been placed since the school’s opening, according to Shanghaiist.
Other bans include helping girls carry their bags (for guys), sharing trays at the cafeteria and sharing earphones while listening to music. Violators may be shamed, punished or in extreme cases, expelled from the university.
One student caught holding hands with his girlfriend was given a “serious warning” and ordered to clean a dirty toilet, the Beijing Times wrote.
Cleaning dirty toilets, however, is a common punishment. Without a cleaning staff, the university relies on students being responsible enough to keep the facilities tidy and orderly.
