In short, you will never experience a beach the same way as you do a Chinese one. This is mostly down to the fact that Chinese people simply don’t do the beach like Westerners do. Yes, they go and chill, and the kids go mad in the sand and the sea. The big difference is that most of them cover themselves from head to toe- minus the occasional flashy man who rocks out those tiny Speedos that leave very little to the imagination. This isn’t for religious reasons, it’s just the cultural norm to cover up in the sun. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this, each to their own, good for you China. The big issue is visiting as a westerner, with the inevitable overwhelming desire to strip off into a swim suit, covering as much exposed body surface area with the warm heat of the sun as we can handle.
This was a big dilemma for me when I recently visited Sanya in Hainan, the acclaimed Hawaii of China. A small budget meant that I got to join the hoards of holiday goers hitting the beautiful beaches in Sanya, and man were they beautiful. Another important thing to note is Hainan is a big Russian holiday hotspot, and the beaches are an interesting mix of scantily clad westerners and the more modest locals. Despite this, it is safe to say that as a foreigner on the beach, you are guaranteed to stick out like a sore thumb.
Receiving extra attention isn’t rare in China as a foreigner. Stares are inevitable wherever you go, regardless of how clothed you are. However, if you’re chillin’ in the beach in a bikini, imagine this supercharged. On top of the more reserved passing glances, you get a fun influx of photos and videos being taken of you, permission both requested or completely ignored.
I totally expected the major contrast in beachwear choices, but no way was I prepared for the crazy levels that the Chinese obsession with photos reaches at the beach. There’s definitely a spectrum of these happenings, too. First you have the classic scenario, where families, couples and individuals as kfor a picture with you like you’re Beyonce- something can often happen to you in China regardless of your whereabouts. Then you have the ‘subtle’ male photographers. Often older in age, they walk the beach holding their phones, either pretending to film the beach, focusing a suspicious amount of time on female foreigners, or holding their phone as if they are not using it, but facing the camera towards their chosen subject. Maybe these are coincidences? I thought so too, at first. But after the fifth time or so, I sussed these guys’ game.
Finally, the absolute worst culprits of camera use on the beach: the live streamers. In short, they are men that walk up and down the beach, filming foreign women on their phones for their live stream feed. Before I start my rant about this, let me get you clued up. Live streaming is a powerful entity in China- the great firewall of China means no Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, even porn. Instead, online fame can be found behind a camera, chatting to followers who give you cash tips for your streams. Often innocent, these sites are a platform for internet personalities, likeable to YouTube stars, who use them as a platform for their talents. I mentioned porn before, because, like the lack of western social media, live streams similarly fill this hole… pardon the pun. Although not as cheeky as camming, the streams feature beautiful girls often flashing their best assets to a horny male audience. So the entrepreneurial dudes on the beach basically make money from their live streams filming semi-nude foreigners. Worst of all, their subjects are often unaware of their new-found internet fame.
The first time that it happened to me, I was absolutely mortified. I was just minding my own business, taking in the beautiful beachy view when I saw a guy filming me on his phone from a distance. He came and sat next to me, turned his phone on selfie mode and asked me where I was from. I told him to stop filming and to go away. He ignored me and kept asking questions. Out comes the angry feminist that lies deep in my soul and I told him to fuck off and all I get in response is a zoom in on my boobs. I have no idea what came over me, maybe a frustration at years of sexual harassment and objectification, but next thing I know, I snatch his phone off him and gesture to throw it in the sea. I’m mental, I know. He snatches the phone back off me and goes on a fun rant about how I’m a visitor in China and have no respect for culture. Hey, how about you have some respect for my privacy, that’d be fun too huh?
After it happened I thought it was just some weird guy, turns out it wasn’t at all. There are tonnes of these guys roaming the beaches, ready to broadcast the next pair of foreign tits in exchange for the cash of needy Chinese men. The second time it happened, I decided to try for the friendly method- shouting at locals really wasn’t helping me with my goals of a chilled holiday. I had a chat with the amateur videographer, moving away from the camera and hiding off screen as much as I could. Of course, this wasn’t very effective. It took a considerate English-speaking local nearby to come and tell him to leave in Chinese. By the third time it happened, I had gotten my shit down, and I am going to tell you how to overcome this crazy hurdle of beach time once I’m done ranting.
The sad thing about all of this is that it happens to every foreign woman on the beach. Fat, thin; grandmother, mother, teenager; awake, asleep, you will have your five minutes of Chinese internet fame. The worst part is that these live stream profiles are full of videos and photos of women who have been filmed, often completely unaware its even happened. My friend tracked down one of these profiles and it was full of pictures, the worst probably being those of the rears of mothers. playing with their toddlers in the sea or women asleep, trying to bronze up.
Firstly, since when was filming bikini clad women without their permission okay? Where is the respect for privacy, for bodies, for individuals? The only women I saw that were most laid back about the whole ordeal were the ones that were so drunk they didn’t give a shit. Also, using women’s bodies for profit when they are unaware? What? I just can’t get my head around it. Is it a culture thing? Is it a respect thing? Is it something to do with Chinese fashions and customs? I don’t know. What I do know is, being on the receiving end of this really isn’t pleasant. All I wanted was to relax on the beach and get a tan!
If, for some insane reason, I haven’t put you off going to a Chinese beach already, I want to offer some advice. China, particularly Hainan, has some absolutely gorgeous beaches to explore and enjoy, and shouldn’t be missed out on because of some money grabbing assholes who think it’s okay to exploit women’s bodies for profit. It’s okay, I got you. There are ways to make the experience a hell of a lot more pleasant, allowing you to both enjoy your beach holiday, whilst maintaining your dignity:
Don’t take it personally
The absolute number one rule of surviving a Chinese beach is to not let it haunt you emotionally. Of course, this is inevitable with any form of harassment. Sadly, it happens so damn much you can’t let it get to you or your holiday will be ruined. Instead, take it as a compliment. You have a beautiful body, worthy of the Chinese public. Kim K deals with this shit when she hits EVERY beach, mostly because she has a bangin’ body that the public wants. Yeah, that’s not so cool either, but its 2018 and we have to work around that shit. We’re talking survival after all.
Be strong and sassy
If you’re timid, the creeps are going to keep at it. The only way to rid them from your zen time is to shout and look super angry. Surprisingly, they have no idea that you want a random guy filming your bikini body, so you’ve got to let them know. The great thing is, many don’t even understand ‘fuck off’, so you can spit and curse as much as you like, without feeling like you’re being too crazy, the angry tone is all you need.
Prepare yourself for the situation ahead of time
It’s great to know what’s about to go down so when the time arrives, you’re not surprised. A firm and constant resounding ‘no’, with a solid head shake will not go misunderstood. If you’re a quieter type, taking photos back can be a great move, too. Just don’t do what I did and rock up with no damn clue, to end up feeling insanely mortified and violated.
The passive response
For those that can’t handle confrontation, find a quieter beach spot where less live streamers are lurking. This may involve an increase in travel time, but will most likely be worth it to avoid the inevitable. Obviously, this isn’t ideal for the feminist cause, having to avoid the situation, but sadly, it’s kind of necessary for some proper peace and quiet. This was my favourite method, and I could happily pass out in the sun without worrying about my unknown career as a Chinese cam girl.
Obviously, in an ideal world, this shit wouldn’t go down and I wouldn’t have to prepare you for situations that you might face on a Chinese beach as a foreign female. It’s totally essential that the first step is to teach men not to harass and objectify women, especially without their consent. Unfortunately, China isn’t there yet, despite the fact that it’s a pretty damn awesome country to visit. If we want to enjoy it, we have to go into survival mode, at least until shit gets better.
Leave a Reply