"Street performance artists play for a number of reasons - some play for a sense of fulfillment because they wish to expose their talents to a wider audience, some play for money because they have to support their families and want to have a better life. Some even play for free - they give shows just for fun," he said.
The planned regulations may give street artists encouragement and help to recognize them as appreciated professionals, he added.
However, some street artists are skeptical.
Zhang Xiaomen, a 62-year-old flute player at People's Square in downtown Shanghai, said he does not wish to be "regulated".
"I've been playing around here for years - every corner can be my stage; I don't really care what people think of me - whether they think I'm a beggar or a proper flute player. I'm making money from my work, and my worry is that regulators may charge us for examinations, forcing us to pass tests to get a certificate to play or things like that, which may take away a part of my already-humble income," Zhang said.
A system to manage street performances needs to be implemented, but only after some questions are answered, said Wang Junzhi, a lawyer in Shanghai.
"The questions are whether local authorities are entitled to create benchmarks for qualifications for certain professionals or not, and how to draw the line between artists who play while begging and other street performers," Wang said.
China’s weekly story
(2013.5.18- 5.24)
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