Shanghai prepares for 'human zoo'

Shanghai is getting set to open a “human zoo”. Four Australian men will live in a glass box in a Chinese shopping centre for two weeks in June, with the public able to watch them sleeping, eating and bathing.

The group, known as the Urban Dream Capsule, has drawn crowds with similar displays in London, Montreal, Hong Kong and other cities.

“They won’t turn off the lights or pull down the curtains. They show their whole life, from getting up to going to bed,” Karen Chang, the event’s organiser, told the Shanghai Daily newspaper.

“People like to watch them taking a shower, so they have to shower at least two times a day,” Chang said. “Of course, one can’t see the key parts, because there is non-transparent glass in the bathroom.”

The glass capsule is to be decorated in a Shanghainese theme.

Members of the group have been taking Chinese lessons so that they can communicate with spectators, the report said.

The public can send email or faxes to them, or put messages on the glass.

“Interaction is a key element of the performance,” Chang said.