China's Most Misunderstood Subculture 

It's okay, scene kids weren't understood in the states either

As soon as I saw the hair I laughed, it's scene kids all over again. Alt trends will always be here to make others uncomfortable. Punk never dies. As long as people are being treated badly and people struggle and there's things to fight for, punk continues to be reborn and revitalised in so many places and times by so many different people. Amazing.

“People don’t want to acknowledge that art can be created by those at the bottom of society.”

I keep seeing Shamate being mentioned sometimes in the translated chinese novels I read online and the translators always do a little side note that Shamate is like a punk or rebel culture or they're fans of Japanese viskei. Even the pictures linked are from the 90s. I never knew that it was so tied into the migrant workers and it was their way of expression of freedom, and creativity, etc. Or that it still exists today. This is way deeper.

if that brings happiness and joy to them, let them be. it's not like their peacock hair gonna disturb your life

God forbid people play with their own damn hair and dance. People are so narcissistic to think other peoples personal choices should be dictated by what they think.

I lived in China for a number of years, and Shamate were some of the best people. Down to earth, supportive, and overall way more fun to be around than the upper-class folks that were the student parents of the school that I worked at.

This is so incredible to see. It's like a whole blend of scene, b-boy, punk, and Japanese visual kei - just all combined into one with a new twist. Takes a lot of creativity and bravery to express yourself to the fullest in an environment that oppresses you

"They don't think that people at the lowest strata of society can make art" - It's actually very often the exact opposite, a LOT of amazing artists come from absolutely nothing, factory workers, high school dropouts, anything you can imagine. Kurt Cobain lived under a bridge in his teens and worked as a janitor, Jimi Hendrix grew up in extreme poverty on the verge of homelessness. Art is very often created from personal suffering, and you find that in excess at the low ends of society, so claiming that they can't make art is not only wrong, it's the EXACT other way around. Subcultures thrive because they allow for people with monotonous and hard lives to break out of it for a brief moment, which is pretty much the bare minimum society should grant people, to add a tiny bit of vibrancy in a grey world. To try to take that away is actually cruel. Sorry for the rant, it's probably pretty obvious this is a personal thing for me.

It's a sparkle of spontaneity and life in the midst of a monotone work culture. This is actually beautiful.

As a 36 year old Metalhead who still rocks long hair, camo shorts, and concert shirts, not to mention other personal flares, I think this is awesome. Not trying to crap on anyone; but I've never seen the appeal of being "normal" like that. My style was born out of my interests and a bit of youthful rebellion; but I stuck with it because I still enjoy it. I just can't see myself ever donning some beige Khakis and a turquoise Polo shirt. Everyone is their own personal create-a-character; why not have fun with it? These folks found a way to shine in a life that's often drab and insulating. I say good on em.

In a society like China where conformity and collectivity is hammered into the culture, it’s understandable how some would want to rebel and move against the grain. Looking “ugly” and different is the point. These people are tired of not being allowed to be individuals. I feel for them.

Kind of ironic that all the people judging them are the same people using the goods that they produced in the factories they work at. Like, if they're going to work their butts off doing monotonous, tedious work in stuffy factories so that you can wear that shirt on your back, just be quiet and mind your own business. Don't judge. It's really cool how they're brightening up their lives doing something fun!

I'm Chinese and I have never heard of this subculture. Very happy to see things like this in the media- these people should be celebrated for their individuality, not criticized for it.

Not gonna lie, it's kinda goofy when you first see it, but then you realize how hard they have it in China and it really starts to warm your heart. It's really a beautiful thing. NEVER LET SHAMATE DIE

I live in Arkansas in the United States, one of the most rural and blandest states in the country. There used to be subcultures similar to this back in the early 2000s such as emo, scene, hipster, etc. It has died out since then so everyone blends in amongst society and look like clones. I stand out proudly with many styles in my wardrobe on the edgy spectrum. I really wished my state had a community like this or somewhere where outsiders and edgy people can express themselves. I'm in a committed relationship, otherwise, I'd move to somewhere like Chicago where I have seen edgy people out in the open.

This simultaneously hurts my heart to hear they feel lonely or stifled or unseen, and then heals it bc of how they translated that pain into a creative outlet and a community. I love their style! I hope the shamate community continues on. 💓

They’re braver and happier than all those people that call them “unacceptable” and “mental”. They’re brave to love life and enjoy it despite working and living in a monotonous and miserable society.

I guarantee you in the upcoming years people will pick and pull aspects from this culture to the mainstream making it a trend. We've seen it with the advent of eboys taking aspects from punk. Personally for me I rock with this because I back anything that supports self expression in a positive way.

I never really understood why people should be judged by how they dress. They are not hurting anyone, just trying to find something that makes them a little bit more happy. We all need a little bit more happiness 😊

It's like discount visual kei without the music. Looks insane and I love it. If I were a teen factory worker living a lonely and monotonous life, I would want to have Super Saiyan hair too.

As an old school American Punk...I approve. Your doing your own shit and you don't care if it pisses people off. Good job.

this is very very touching for me... the first time you meet people like your own kind is like magic, its bliss ♥ you feel nothing but love for one another, you laugh, you cry together, you speak the same language... every shared minute is holy and priceless! no matter how fucked up life is treating you, your familia will have your back and be there for you, so there is at least this one thing, that lightens up your existence on this planet. the bound is tight as is should be and the bound is called LOVE ♥ to loose this can actually traumatise you... youll always seek back to this love you once had but is gone for good now. it hurts, its almost like physically pain, or like youre heartbroken and some might never get over this loss -.- still... it does not matter if these days are long ago and you lost your familia because you know now, how LOVE feels like and how it is, or can be, to be a part of something way bigger then your tiny ass- and thats way more then others will ever have! cause life is a pain and you better get used to it, bitch! ♫♥♫

Thanks Vice for producing this. I grow up in China and view Shamate as a laughing stock. I have never looked deeper into this and see the sad story behind all those ridiculous looking hairstyles.

This is actually pretty badass. They built a subculture and solidarity through artistic self expression in a monotone grueling work environment so droll that it causes lots of people to off themselves. Way to rise. Hardship breeds creativity and culture!

These kids are the cool kids of China. Culture always comes from he poor, the afflicted, the downtrodden. Hip Hop music. Seattle grunge. China is desperate for soft power b/c the world is afraid of China. What they don't know is that these kids are the soft power they're looking for. They're the cool kids. And yet they trample on their self expression. So sad. I'm a black hip hop kid from the 90s and this is the first time I've ever looked at Chinese modern culture (not the Forbidden City or the Great Wall) and said 'cool'. If they were left alone I wonder what else these young people would come up with.

Awesome vid, a lot of respect for the tenacity and the robustness of their characters. On a side note for yt, breh i had to get thru 5-6 add breaks for this one vid each time spending 15-30s.....we gon have to square up for this sht now

Thank you for making this video. I was curious about Shamate culture at first but learn to appreciate them more after watching this mini-documentary.

In the monotony of city life, this kind of culture is refreshing and adds colour to life. Just because something is different doesn’t mean you have to reject it at first glance. I mean, they are happy to do this, perhaps they feel more positive or free styling their hair and clothes like that. It’s not like they are a public nuisance.

This reminds me of the early MySpace days with scene kids and emo music in the early to mid 2000s

This feels like a reflection of how society has changed with technology, almost cyberpunk in its fashion both visually and mentally.

I really appreciate the team for covering this!

Fantastic, in our day we had sub cultures, and it really pushed people's buttons, they wanted to have power and control over the kids, who were expressing their creativity, go for it

wow definitely did not know china had this kind of subculture. but it really makes sense that it's found in southern china's smaller towns.

These documentaries are what I love VICE for. Thank you for this!

such a wholesome video!! thank you for sharing I love everything about them !!!

honestly i feel like this deserves it's own place in the history of punk styles

I actually think this is pretty cool and nice that they have a DGAF attitude and they just wear what makes them confident and happy. They aren't hurting anyone so leave them alone.

What an incredibly beautiful story. I have lived and worked in the PRC for some time now, and am only vaguely familiar with those millions that I know are out there that desire some measure of freedom in any way they can find it. As the PRC becomes more and more repressive again, I can only hope these young people make it.

This made me feel happy, but sad at the same time. People will always have a struggle but it is how you choose to react and deal with it that will determine life being good or bad

This was a beautiful video. I really liked the part where the one woman said that the poor can make art as well. The higher society preaches that art is to express and yet they’re also stifling those that express themselves in a way they don’t agree with.

Another visual k and modernized emo sub culture mix. Old cultures never die.

A sad thing about China, and other East Asian cultures is that you must Conform. I have a sister in law who is from China. When she first arrived, she was amazed at the different cultures existing side by side peacefully, for the most part, at work and loving the local sports teams. Twenty some years later she still feels uncomfortable wanting to correct random people for not acting Chinese. Her actions amuse me sometimes, most often when she realizes she was acting Chinese to a stranger.

In the 1980s=1990s in England, the city of Sheffield was colourful, with guys and girls dresses as punk rockers, skin heads, break dancers, like what you see on video but it died off and faded away in my city a year later. It was the most exciting year. I was a kid who liked photography and I took many photographs. 20 years later a collector found me to see my photographs as I posted just a cpuple online. I sold them for thousand of dollars. I thank these subcultures for helping me get out of the struggling hard life. My dad was a steel worker. My mum didn't work but looked after seven children and these subculture existed in my city but only for a short time. I became an artist, singer, songwriter, producer. That time inspired me so much to forget the hard life and loneliness. It also attracted many girls because I looked different. It was before internet, social media and so so many of us was outside in the street, hanging out together. Today the streets are dead or everyone is on their phone. The video reminds me of the cruelest times but also the best time, a time of youth, of bravery, of being yourself, of expressing yourself and doing things to stand out to attract the girl or guy. Great artists came from those times, musicians too, producers of music, paintings, fashion and so much more that made the world better with colours, ideas, and connection. Don't judge them, this is a fleeting moment in their lives, in which they'll look back with awesomeness of a time when they felt themselves and for a time free from worries of life, work, predictable hard life. Some will look back with sadness too because when it's gone from their life, it's gone. They will soon grow up as adults with same worries we all have as adults. So for me, I hope they embrace these moments with pride because it will be fleeting and it will also fade away from their life too.

To me this Just looks like 80s punk rockers back in my days

Be a boring world if we all looked the same

This hurts absolutely no one. Good for them for doing them, not being a slave to the sheep mentality of being the same and submissive. Individualism requires courage and china doesn't like that because individuals with courage turn into groups with courage.

History repeats itself, teens will always revolt, punk will always stay in the hearts of rebels and for those unheard. Comical for this newer generation, but relatable as a scene kid.

Seeing these young people expressing their individuality and creativity is so beautiful and uplifting. I’m sorry the Shamates seem to be disappearing and I hope they make a resurgence - even if that looks much different. I’m sure the acceptance of the group and the ability to stand out in a crowd is very good for the mental health of those who are stuck in those menial jobs.

It feels nice hearing rural dialects. My family hasn't been able to visit relatives in years, so nostalgic

I love the cinematography of this documentary! I loved how they made everyone look so beautiful and graceful. A country I will probably never get to visit and a subculture I won’t experience. Thank you!

When I fell in love with vkei in middle school I wasn't brave enough to replicate the beautiful styles because how they looked was unreal. Malice Mizer and bucktick etc all iconic looks. He is truly living life as he should.

Im glade they’re expressing themselves, their culture seems really against expressing your true self, it’s all about being a worker bee, and blending into everyone else, so you won’t cause a scene. It’s nice to see people confident enough to break away from the norm.

it is testament to the spirit of creativity in humans that caught in a numbing situation of some factory jobs, they find a way to bring color and expression in. I wish they could have jobs that are not deadening and numbing. The expressions of creativity, while good, will not undo the negative effects of being in deadening jobs for too long. Those who criticize them, don't understand the situation...easier to judge than to understand. It's art..enjoy it, people!

As someone who lives in the other side of the world I mostly always feel like there is a very strong cultural barrier between China and my culture, that they are strange and alien, but somehow, this reminds me so much of emo culture, it's beautiful, it makes me feel for them in a way that no other piece of media has. Good for them

I can relate, I'm a factory worker and love (cyber)punk and alternative styles too even though I'm from the Netherlands, it's awesome to see how it's a culture in different places.

Reminds me of us punk kids of the 70's/80's. So glad to see that spirit still exists.

It's almost like vice is getting back into good content.

this is one of the best ones ive watched on vice.

Is is that hard to get a English translator? I hate reading these small subtitles and not being able to focus on the picture. I always switch off

In China they had "Shamate", but in Indonesia we had it too. We called it "Jamet". Also called with "Jamet Kuproy". Kuproy word is stand for "Kuli Proyek" in english means "builder" who working in building house or others. I don't know what comes first between "Jamet" and "Shamate". But maybe, in my opinion, both of them is typically the same in background and style. Maybe you could help me to find out. They are found easily in Madura Island, East Java.

This is beautiful. They add some colours and cheerfulness, between all that gray and monotony. Reminds of "floggers", a subculture that was popular in Argentina.

This has all the parts of a subculture that are so important, the hairs,clothing,the negative feedback from others who´ll never understand what it´s all about.

Love this!! Nothing cooler than not caring what other people think and doing what makes you feel confident and happy. Creativity should not be crush but praised and falling in line should never be the goal

Oh, China adopted scene...cool! A great style for a systemic rebellion. They look fucking killer. To hear of the visual kei ties... not surprised!

I love this, the fact that there are new subcultures forming in a similar manner and conditions to how subcultures were formed in the west back in the day is awesome to witness. This is one of the most original things I have seen coming out of China in recent years.

"My hair is like a friend to me" - I feel you, bro. :(

We have something similliar here in Indonesia, we called it jamet. A community with uniqe hairstyle and fashion. They have uniqe dances that never failed to surprised people. Super creative.

Just reminds me of myself. I started dressing like this and going gothy punk or just always had my own style since I was a little kid. It shouldn't be frowned upon just because someone else does not understand it. Everyone should.habe the freedom.to be happy and do what they want and live like they want as long as you don't hurt others!

When he talked about that factory life , shit hit me hard .

This is first subculture that I sympathize with. To add some color to monotonnous and depressive life as a simple worker. As a kid I could never relate why would people waste time on wearing funny clothes, hairstyles and adhering to trends. It felt so impractical and tiring.

Fascinating.

Before you laugh at their hair, remember that not so long ago half the people in the West walked around in friggin Mozart wigs. In any case, it's always encouraging to see people have to guts to break the mold.

I don't see freedom... the pain, the loneliness, difficulties, the suffering when I see them (the first part in the factory town) and specially the blue hair guy, are crushing my heart :( It's a way of trying to survive in this terrible and hard world.. It's a way of existing in this world, and to show that we are not just a fucking number ... I've always loved the rebels, the ones that didn't fit into the mold of conformity and what a "normal person is supposed to be". Because in the end, these people are the ones who want to live the most and to feel alive... And it's very cool that they have found a way of expression. They have found a new family and that's a very positive point ! I will just say that I wish them to be happy

Awesome, love the look.. keep up the good work.. :)

Kinda reminds me of the Gyaru + Visual Kei Subcultures of Japan in the 2000s. I get why they go hard w' their fashion/style. Sometimes the more society tells its ppl to be a certain way, the more some ppl will head in the opposite direction of that: Reverse Psychology. Art + creation will always be a part of societies + cultures. Art and creativity comes from everyone, it's never came from one kind of ppl or socioeconomic group. It's pretty valuable + draws tourism + exposure to countries. Some ppl really into anime/manga travel to Japan just 4 stores and events related to anime/manga. I noticed the strong conformity + conservative vibes in parts of Japan but I also noticed the talented art + creativity many ppl in this society have at the same time: just walking through certain terminal stations, museums seeing amazing mod art structures + architecture. So yeah there's an undeniable love of ppl's art + wackiness and there's a big attraction towards it. Musicians + performance artists have to start somewhere as well. Some ppl say oh I'm not into art or I'm not really a fan of art stuff but they enjoy music + certain musicians. Maybe they're not into "visual arts". To me music is another form of art + lots of musicians call themselves artists. I don't just travel 2 a new place for the food, I want to also visit museums + see the art. When countries market their most popular cities for tourism they don't show the drab hustle + gloom, they show a bit of vibrancy: food, events, performers, history + ART.

We all laugh at this subculture but deep inside this is our avatars when we play games 😅😅😅

I love this story! You can put people down, but you can't keep them down. They found a community, they found each other, they found out how to be individuals and have fun. It's a beautiful story.

I'm surprised to find that VICE cover Shamate as it is a very unpopular topic hehe But you know what's really interesting? Some of the aesthetics are making a come back as a part of the Y2K fashion in China :') And they look pretty awesome

I am a now retired New York high-end hairdresser who worked in Uptown Park Avenue and Madison Avenue for over 30 years. I love these Shamate's hairstyles, they reminded me of the 80's punk and the Japanese Punk styles. I love these Shamate young people's fashion, makeup and back stories, they are the punk but without the anger and anti social. Life is tough is China and I am truly happy for these young people to find a way for fun expressions and make friends.

This is a glimpse behind the “made in China” label and see how people bring creativity into their overworked lives.

Brave kids find far avay from home way to connect and how not to be alone annymore and also find the way how to have good time and support each other.

so THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS, that's so cool omg. I saw a few of those tiktoks and I was wondering where the funky hair countryside thing came from. The fact that it's a whole thing is so dope. The fact that it's stopping them from having jobs/working is so sad.

The artistry of youth. Every generation goes through the struggle to be relevant. The older generations distain the young punks. The younger generation doesn’t understand the Why. As we grow we slowly find our place in the grand scheme and the punk fades away. In some ways it’s sad to see the spark die. But in it’s dying, room is made for a new flame to grow. It’s comforting to know that the fire will never completely die. There will always be some punk kid doing something to stand out from the crowd.

I admit that at times like this, wish I still had hair to play around with 😤

I would rather live doing what makes me happy, regardless of what society thinks, than to live miserable doing what others want me to do. Stay true to yourself because we live in a world where there is too many followers and not enough leaders. You guys are beautiful and unique. Keep shining.

I was late to discover this. Boxxiebaby would have loved this

Can we give Vice a big thank you thumbs up for bringing up amazing content like this?

I think its insane to want to blend in and look like everyone else, having perosnality and express it through your clothes and hair is great. Let people be.

The depth of emotional content in this documentary is refreshing. Thanks Vice.

I gotta try this style !

Reminds me of Japanese visual kei fashion and the late 90s early 2000s Fruits era.

Very beautiful and definitely artistic. Courageous too. In a way, it's too bad that the conformists don't like it. OTOH, it's the way things have always been. Maybe some day, humans will appreciate the artists among us enough so that we don't try to crush them.

This is like the EXACT hair aesthetic of late 80's/very early 90s Visual Kei though? Like, this screams "BLUE BLOOD" era X, Z:KILL, very early LUNA SEA, ZIGGY, DEAD END, "HIDE YOUR FACE" era hide, etc

Reminds me a lot of the gyaru/ganguro aesthetic from Japan, another aesthetic embraced by the disenchanted youths from the countryside, who would hang out in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Awesome!

Scene/emo kids chinese version.. 🧡 Damn i miss myspace days. good ol'days

“Sometimes glass glitters more than diamonds because it has more to prove.”- Terry Pratchett

Firstly I lived in Henan and then moved to Guangzhou which is near Dongguan like that guy , wow, those coincidences

I've been seeing these hairstyles popping up on Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok). I wondered what sparked the revival. Funny that theres also been a surge of "Emo nights" popping up at bars in the states now that even late millenials are all 25yo+. 😄