One local couple enjoy a romantic evening. Gao Erqiang/Shanghai Star

NOISE POLLUTION

Still stepping' lively

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But all is not that rosy. Group dancing has its darker sides.

Loudspeakers used for the music has angered some residents, who have complained about the noise. There have also been fights among the dancers themselves.

Earlier this month, an elderly man in Shanghai's Minhang district stabbed another old man for stepping on his toes during a square dance session. His victim later died from his wounds.

In other provinces, residents angry at the loud noise have poured gasoline on dancers.

Others brought their own loudspeakers, to try to drown out the competition. One person even threw a large python at a group of dancers.

In Beijing, a man fired a gun and unleashed his Tibetan Mastiff on a group of dancers last summer.

Yu calls all these incidents manifestations of "a moral defect in the Chinese culture".

Local governments have tried to contain the noise.