State-owned railways in China have told women not to wear make-up on trains. Here’s how they responded

A woman applies makeup at a railway station in Beijing on December 12, 2014.

A woman applies makeup at a railway station in Beijing on December 12, 2014.

Hong Kong (CNN) –– A promotional video by state-owned railways in China asking women to avoid wearing make-up during train journeys has sparked backlash and debate over sexism.

On Saturday, China Railways’ clip became the most searched, most read and most talked about on China’s Twitter-like social media platform, Weibo – two months after it was originally posted.

The post has been met with outrage among a wider feminist movement demanding gender equality in a country of 1.4 billion people where men still dominate boardrooms and high government institutions – and where, in the past, the feminist movement has often been censored.

The post was made as part of the railway’s campaign to reduce anti-social behavior by passengers and followed a series of other posts instructing people not to litter, take other people’s seats or speak too loudly.

Unveiled in July, the video shows a stylishly dressed woman sitting in the cabin of a high-speed inter-city train preparing to apply lotion and foundation.

She is interrupted by a man in the seat next to her who taps her on the shoulder, and the clip then shows her covering the man’s face in foundation.

“I don’t need to wear makeup, beauty,” he later tells the woman, who apologizes and helps him clean up.

The nearly one-minute clip has sparked controversy and shows no signs of stopping.

As of Saturday, its corresponding hashtag has garnered over 340 million views and 20,000 comments. Many citizens criticized the video as offensive.

“Why should it be a gender-specific case of women wearing makeup to exemplify uncivilized behavior?” asked a Weibo user.

Others defended the right to wear makeup. “There’s nothing rude about that,” said one.

Another asked, “Will women be banned from trains once in the next move?”

CNN has reached out to China Railways for comment.

Chinese officials have tried to defend the ad, with commentary broadcast by state media urging people not to “overinterpret” it.

The commentary, first published in the Nanfang Daily, claimed that the depicted make-up incidents were among the “most common” complaints received.

However, he admitted there was bad behavior – such as being too loud or occupying another passenger’s seat.

“The publisher of the video is not asking people not to wear make-up on trains but to advocate a civilized form of travel and consider the feelings of other passengers,” it said.

Responding to inquiries from local reporters, staff at China Railway’s customer service hotline said there is no ban on wearing makeup on trains.