A dispute between a local Nanjing man and an international student disrupted the peace on the S1 subway line on 5 August.
Assuming the middle-aged Chinese man had been taking photos of him, the young African man angrily approached him and accused him of taking photos without permission.
A passenger called the Nanjing police and told them that there were foreigners on the subway, insulting and “bullying” Chinese people. After the police arrived and with the Chinese man’s permission, they searched his phone; no pictures had been taken of the students.
The students later apologised to the Chinese man and explained that, in his hometown the custom was not to let strangers take pictures of them as it is like “taking a picture of the soul”. The Chinese man said that he understood and all went on their way.
Foreigners are often photographed in China without having asked their permission. While for some it is simply an invasion of privacy and a common annoyance, for others it can be seriously offensive and boorish.
