Taiwan's "Touch Me Party"

In Taiwan, nightclubs are traditionally a matter of controversy. In a country where public ethics and reality often clash, the media tend to portray nightclubs as places of perversion and loose morals. Whoever has experienced Taiwan's night scene knows that what goes on in nightclubs can be quite extreme. But while pleasure - and specifically sexual pleasure - as an element of nightclub life cannot be ignored, the way in which one judges the individual freedom to enjoy oneself is entirely subjective.

A new type of nightclub party has recently hit the headlines in Taiwan. According to local reports, Rave Club, a popular nightclub in Taichung City, has announced on its Facebook page that on March 18 it will organise a so-called "Touch Me Party" (摸摸派對). This type of party seems to have originated in South Korea. Although Taiwan's media have noticed this phenomenon only recently, the club has been holding such parties for about a year, as pictures of "Touch Me Parties" on the club's Facebook page demonstrate.

But what is a "Touch Me Party" exactly?

As the name suggests, it is a party where people can touch each other. However, there are certain rules to be followed. Each guest receives a sticker. There are three types of stickers that indicate what each person is allowed to do. The post on the club's Facebook page - which appears to have been hastily removed but is still visible on Apple Daily's website - explains:

Blue sticker: men can touch

Red sticker: girls can touch

Mouth-shaped sticker: can kiss

The entrance prices depend on gender and time.

Men: before midnight 500 TWD/after midnight 600 TWD

Women: before midnight 100 TWD/after midnight 300 TWD

Taiwan's media have criticised the "Touch Me Party". Apple Daily, for instance, suggested that it challenges the law as well as morality (挑戰法律及道德). The party is also closely monitored by the police, which want to verify the legality of such events.

A representative of the club declared that "Touch Me Parties" are held once a month, and that there have never been incidents.

According to a lawyer interviewed by Apple Daily, the parties do not seem to break any law, although he added that the police have to keep the club under surveillance in order to protect young people.

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