By Matthew Bossons
A bar in Guangzhous Liede area has been forced to remove a sign from its front entranceway that stated foreigners were not welcome on the premises.
According to a source familiar with the situation, local authorities visited Mr. Pilot an aviation-themed bar on popular party street Xingsheng Lu yesterday and asked staff to remove the sign, which read Decline foreigners in English. The notice additionally stated [We] politely refuse foreigners from entering in traditional Chinese characters.
Image via Chad Chamara
Photos shared with Thats yesterday afternoon show that the text banning foreigners from the bar has been removed from the doors. Text reading No drugs in English, and Strictly prohibit sex, gambling and drugs, violators will be dealt with by law in Chinese, remains on the entranceway (which is actually sound advice, if you ask us).
Images via Chad Chamara
The sign was originally brought to our attention roughly a week ago. Looking to investigate further, we reached out to Mr. Pilot last week for comment and were told by an employee that foreign customers are not banned. When pressed about the sign that was, until today, clearly located on the establishments main entrance, the staffer told us that the bar and restaurant does not want foreign customers late at night.
The sign did not go unnoticed by foreigners living near Mr. Pilot, and a number of expats took to social media to voice their issues with the alleged ban on non-Chinese customers.
I called the government service hotline to complain about the sign, not because I felt discriminated against personally as a foreigner, but because I felt it damages Guangzhous image as an open and inclusive city, one concerned Xingsheng Lu resident recently told Thats. The person who took my complaint was very helpful and understanding.
Image via Chad Chamara
Well, it looks like foreigners can now freely visit Mr. Pilot any time during the bars hours of operation (if any of them still want to visit after this fiasco).
[Cover image via Chad Chamara]
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