IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS have given many reasons over the years for refusing entry visas to aliens they consider undesirable, but surely this is the first time that baldness has qualified as a reason for restriction on travel.
“If you’re bald on top, you’ve got to stop” is the latest rule for slapheads entering mainland China from Taiwan through the Fujian province port town of Xiamen, a smuggling haven. Chinese border guards believe that it is “easier for bald people to disguise themselves” and so introduced the draconian laws against the non-hirsute.
On January 27th, travel agencies in Taiwan were told that bald or shaven-headed people could not get one-year multiple visas for China.
There were cases of shaven-headed people being denied entry, the Liberty Timesreported.
The new rules have caused quite a stir in the travel community. The Tung-nan Travel Agency and Yi-fei wang and many others put up a notice on their website: “2010 New Regulations: Shaven-headed, bald, religious and political parties cannot be catered for.” This is quite a serious issue, given that Buddhist monks, who ply their trade on both sides of the Strait of Taiwan, are bald.
At the moment, travel agencies are not sure what the rules are. The Liberty Timescontacted Zhao Chuan, a less than hairy pop star from Taiwan whose career flourished in China recently, quoting his manager Zhao Pei saying that the singer hadn't had any problems yet, but that if he had it would have been discrimination. The Chinese said the rules were aimed at business people and those who travel a lot between Taiwan and China, but not ordinary travellers.
Beijing still considers Taiwan a renegade territory, an inalienable part of its territory to be brought back into the national fold by force if necessary.
The relationship between Taiwan and China has improved markedly since Ma Ying-jeou became the island’s president in 2008 vowing to boost trade and tourism.
Despite the warmer ties, most Taiwanese find the Xiamen doctrine ridiculous. An official from the mainland affairs council said perhaps the ruling came from old proverb that “a person who doesn’t have any hair on their head cannot be trusted in doing things”.