Qingdaonese swimmers have recently made waves on Chinese Internet sites for their bizarre swimming gear: colorful, full-face masks.
Dubbed "facekini," the fabric masks cover a swimmer's entire head and neck down to the collar bones. Holes are cut for eyes, nostrils and mouth.
The mask not only helps me from getting tanned, it also prevents jellyfish stings.
-- Wang Xiuzhi, "facekini woman" from Qingdao
According to Chinese media, most "facekini women" are retired middle-aged Qingdaonese who swim regularly in the ocean.
"[I wear this because] I fear getting tanned," said Wang Xiuzhi (王秀芝), a "facekini woman" on Qingdao's No. 1 Bathing Beach, as reported by Xinhua.
"I come here to swim often and [the mask] does work," Wang added.
White skin is considered a sign of beauty in China.
Chinese have a saying that translates roughly as, "white skin covers up a hundred uglinesses." Many Chinese women go to great lengths to prevent themselves from getting tan lines in summer, such as using parasols while walking on the streets and wearing long-sleeve jackets while riding bikes or motorcycles.
Jellyfish protection
Warding off ultraviolet rays isn't the only benefit of "facekinis."
"The mask not only helps me from getting tanned," swimmer Liu Aiwen (刘爱文) told Xinhua. "It also prevents jellyfish stings."
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