'I thought it's the bikinis that could be banned'- 'Facekini' wearers in China unfazed by Burkini ban in France (photos)
Women in china that wear
the facekini, a cloth that covers the face during swimming are wondering why
the French government is making so much fuss about the Burkini, a garment worn
by Muslim women that covers the body and head but doesn't cover the face. The
"facekini" has been popular attire on beaches in eastern China for
several years, especially in the city of Qingdao, a seaside city of 9 million.
The skin-tight
elasticated fabric masks cover a swimmer's entire head and neck. Holes are cut
for eyes, nostrils, mouth and, in some cases, pony tails. Most facekinis cover
up the rest of the torso as well.
"I've been using a facekini for nearly ten
years," says Wang Huimei, 58, a Qingdao local who goes to the beach almost
everyday in summer.
"It's way better than sunscreen lotion that
wears off whenever I get inside the water. Plus, the water in this area tends
to be cold, it's comfortable to wear and it keeps me warm."
Wang says she hadn't
heard about France's efforts to ban Muslim women from covering up their bodies
on beaches.
"I can't really make sense of it," she
said. "I thought it's the bikinis that could be banned."
Zhang, who invented the
facekini and has sold about 20,000 Facekinis this summer says she hasn't had
much success selling the garment outside China.
"We've tried promoting our products
overseas after the pictures of our products went viral, but it didn't turn out
well. We've only had small orders from Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the
past few years."
Some Internet users have
found the designs of Facekinis amusing and creative; while others have found
them shocking.
"Ask French police
to arrest them!" one user of Weibo, China's version of Twitter, commented
on the photos.
Source/photo credit :
CNN Asia
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