No more ‘Beijing bikini’: Chinese city calls topless men ‘uncivilized’

BEIJING: Each summer, as Chinese cities swelter with increase in temperature middle-aged men across the country roll their T-shirts up above their bellies to cool down. The style is so common that it’s even earned a fond nickname: the “Beijing bikini.”

But in a city in China’s eastern Shandong province, Beijing bikini lovers — and those who forgo tops altogether — have fallen out of favor with the local authorities. On Tuesday, authorities in Jinan — a city of 8.7 million — issued a notice ordering the public to keep their shirts on in public places. It came as temperatures rose to a sweltering 36C (96F) this week.

The sight of middle-aged men in China relaxing in public places with their shirt rolled up to expose their stomach, or going completely topless, is a common behavior in this country. But Jinan authorities aim to rectify such “uncivilized behavior,” according to the notice, which added that citizens had complained about the “uncivilized phenomenon” which damaged the image of the city.

Authorities said they planned to crack down on “improper dressing in public places,” which included “shirtlessness” and “wanton exposure of body parts.”