Hortense de Lassee of France get into shape for a "big freeze" at Exit 6 of People's Square Metro Station yesterday. She was joined by other participants in an activity that succeeded in getting public attention.

Paul Traynor / Shanghai Daily News

A SMALL part of People's Square in Shanghai came to a standstill, quite literally, yesterday when hundreds of people froze on the spot in what is known as a "big freeze."

On-lookers were baffled when, just before 4pm after a signal from a man in a blue hooded top, people randomly began to freeze in position and posed for three minutes before unfreezing to rapturous applause.

Roxane Julien, one of the organizers of the Shanghai Big Freeze, said: "We wanted to create an event that shocked people and made them think."

"Big freezes" became a popular phenomenon after a New York-based comedy group known as "Improv Everywhere" organized one in New York's Grand Central Station earlier this year.

It is not the first event of its kind to happen in the city as in March this year a "big freeze" was organized on Nanjing Road.

There have been 70 other "big freezes" worldwide.