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The Queens Living It Up in China's Thriving Drag Scene

VICE met up with a pair of drag queens as they prepared for a major ball in Shanghai, following along before they hit the stage for a competition with dozens of other queens.

Growing up in a small, rural city in northeast China, Neil was obsessed with dressing up in bed sheets and playing with dolls. It wasn't until he got older that he embraced his sexuality, taking his hobby for designing glamorous, handmade outfits from his home out onto the streets of China. Now he's linked up with the country’s thriving drag scene, finding solidarity among a group of queens embracing their creativity by designing and performing in lavish outfits.

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On this episode of VICE INTL, we met up with Neil and his friend Kris as they geared up for a major drag competition in Shanghai, following along before they hit the stage for a wild night out with dozens of other queens.

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