Nude swimming sparks debate in China

BEIJING, Wednesday (Xinhua) - Some swimmers in northeast China have sparked a debate on law and morality as hot as the summer temperatures by venturing into the water naked.

"I was totally stunned and flushed at the first sight of these naked men," Wednesday's China Daily quoted Zhao Yanjie, who lives nearby the bank of the Hunhe River in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province.

Zhao said it was around 6:00 p.m. when she went for a walk after supper with her family one day.

The English language newspaper said Zhao was not the only witness, and the southern bank of the Hunhe River is not the only nude swimming spot.

Amidst the recent rise in temperatures, several cases were also reported in Dalian, a coastal city of Liaoning Province. A dozen of middle-aged and older men were seen swimming nude at the Xinghai Bay bathing area earlier this month.

"This is only an ordinary outdoor sport. We can fully relax ourselves and merge with nature," one nude swimmer in Shenyang was quoted as saying.

He said all swimmers are ordinary workers and they enjoy the feeling they get. But Zhao Yanjie was not convinced. She called police to take measures to prevent such behaviors.

Ai Lijuan, a lecturer at Dalian University of Technology, acknowledged that some European countries allow nude swimming but argued that China's traditional customs and ethical code dictate a totally different situation.