{"id":3754,"date":"2012-11-20T09:55:02","date_gmt":"2012-11-20T01:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=3754"},"modified":"2022-11-17T16:59:11","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T08:59:11","slug":"hongkong_nudists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2012\/11\/hongkong_nudists\/","title":{"rendered":"Naked Sanctuary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hong Kong’s home-grown nudists pursue state of nature<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

By Rene Lam<\/strong><\/p>\n

On a tranquil beach at the southern edge of Lantau Island, sunbathers laze around reading, taking photographs of the scenery and snoozing. They are much the same as sun-seekers you might find on any of Hong Kong\u2019s beaches, except that trunk marks and bikini lines do not mean anything to them.<\/p>\n

Although Hong Kong law forbids complete nudity outdoors, local nudists can still find some oases in isolated parts of Lantau, on beaches on the outlying islands off Sai Kung and a few other secret spots around Hong Kong that are usually deserted on weekdays.<\/p>\n

Wing, who does not wish to disclose his real name, has taken time off work on this Friday afternoon to join a group of nudists who met up through social networking sites.\u00a0He found out about the event after receiving an online invitation to a \u2018Sunbathing Naturalist Gathering\u2019.<\/p>\n

Although the 39 year-old has been a nudist for ten years, this is the first time he has ever sunbathed with nudist companions. \u201cBecause I only come on weekdays, it is difficult to schedule a holiday with friends,\u201d says Wing, \u201cit is nice to meet new friends with the same interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took this group of ten nudists two hours to get to their destination and when they get there they strip off completely, without hesitation or awkwardness. It so happens there are some other unclothed people on the beach. They exchange smiles and go on drenching themselves in the sun.<\/p>\n

However, when families or village people very occasionally pass by, everyone is on alert. Some quickly put on their swimsuits, some use a towel to cover their genitals. \u201cThe most important principle is to not disturb anyone\u2026 I do not want to be confrontational. After all, we are just a minority. Plus, it is prohibited by the Hong Kong law,\u201d Wing says.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Public nudity is illegal in Hong Kong<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leading today\u2019s group is 44-year-old Zeno, who says there are usually no more than 15 participants at each gathering. These can be held either indoors or outdoors, and participants range from 18 to 50 years of age.<\/p>\n

Zeno has been a nudist for ten years. Besides nude sunbathing, he also does nude hiking, nude Yoga and figure drawing with nudist Facebook friends.\u00a0He feels delighted and relaxed to be naked in Mother Nature. \u201cWe did not wear anything when we came to this world,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

For Zeno, going bare is about getting back to basics. The desire to peel off his \u201csecond-skin\u201d is a natural one but stripping down is about more than just removing physical items of clothing. \u201cWhen you are naked, you tend to be more honest and open. You would talk more about your feelings from depth of your heart,\u201d he says.
\n<\/p>\n

Since he started organising nudist events on social networks 10 years ago, he has met a lot of new friends and is pleased to have found others who share an outlook that differs from that of the general public. \u201cIt feels like you\u2019ve found the right thing in life,\u201d says Zeno, \u201cI am very happy that I have discovered that part of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Zeno is not ashamed of his hobby, he still cannot be totally open about it. He uses two different accounts on social networks. The account he uses for his nudist persona uses a fake name and is not for family members and colleagues. Sometimes, Zeno feels more comfortable with strangers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I want to have one identity only. I want the two Facebook accounts to be one. I really wish to. But I am used to what I have now,\u201d Zeno says. \u201cAfter all, [prohibiting nudity] is the law. What we do can be regarded as illegal.\u201d
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While some find it hard to openly defend their beliefs in public, there are others who cherish fighting for them.<\/p>\n

Simon Cheung Pet-wu, in his late 40s, is the founder of local nudist society Body Art Association (BAA).The group was founded in 1995 and organised its first live body art show in 1999. Since then, it has been in the public spotlight for nudity campaigns and controversial body painting events. Cheung says the human body, \u201cis an art form created by God.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was cautious about organising activities at first but eventually media coverage helped the group to establish a reputation. People began to understand their activities were not lewd. Cheung insists on taking measures to ensure the events stay that way.<\/p>\n

Usually, the events attract more registrations from men but he always keeps the ratio of men to women at each event at 3:1.\u00a0He says that if there are too few women, they will get too much attention and may feel stressed. There is always a private zone for women to get dressed and undressed.<\/p>\n

BAA\u2019s members come from all walks of life. There are millionaires and members of the grassroots. What satisfies Cheung the most is that when it comes to nudism, there is no difference in social status.\u00a0\u201cWe are all equal, wearing the cloth given by God. It goes back to the starting point of nature,\u201d Cheung says.<\/p>\n

He regards clothing as necessary for warmth and some other basic functions but thinks it should not be a label. Cheung believes being a naturalist makes him attach less importance to fame and fortune.<\/p>\n

Compared to the flora and fauna, he feels capitalist society seems almost brutal.\u00a0\u201cWhen we need to get back to reality, we refuse to get dressed. It is an inner struggle,\u201d says Cheung, \u201cthe garment is too heavy to bear.\u201d
\n
\nCheung does not see Nudism as showing off flesh. He says: \u201cNudists do not want to disturb others or to be disturbed. They do not want people to gaze at them.\u201d\u00a0Cheung points out that overseas, genuine nudists have given up the famous nude beaches as crowds of tourists with their long lenses have occupied them. Being under this kind of gaze goes against their desire to be free and relaxed.<\/p>\n

In the past, BAA announced the details of their activities on their website. But this drew crowds of curious non-nudists to trail them as if they were rare safari creatures. Therefore they decided to keep their itineraries confidential.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Cheung thinks it is necessary to establish a nudists\u2019 zone in Hong Kong. Otherwise, nudists can only be \u201cweekday nudists\u201d who are restricted to inferior beaches with thicker sand.<\/p>\n

Under the current legal framework, it is difficult for BAA to organise and promote their activities. They always need to negotiate for a long time when they book venues for their events.<\/p>\n

Their website<\/a> is controversial as well. It has received numerous complaints for posting explicit art photos. \u201cWhatever I upload on Facebook, it is reported as pornography. I did not even post pictures, but drawings,\u201d Cheung says. Yet he has never considered using a foreign server to free their website from Hong Kong law.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe insist on using a local server. If you think I am illegal, you can sue me. I do not want to operate within the loopholes of the law,\u201d says Cheung.\u00a0The message Cheung wants to send out is that as an organisation, BAA is born and bred in Hong Kong. He says, \u201cPeople always say nudism comes from the West but we clearly state that nudism is local and inborn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheung says setting up a nude beach would be mutually beneficial for nudists and the rest of society as both sides would avoid disturbing the other. But after years of requests, it is clear that any chance for a nude zone in Hong Kong is slim.\u00a0He attributes this to what he feels are ridiculously strict moral standards. \u201cPeople will tell you privately they are comfortable with public nudity. But when they need to give a voice, they would not touch the bottom line. They are afraid of being judged,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Sitting naked, against the one-way mirror window in his flat, Cheung muses on how difficult it can be to live a simple life in this city. So-called moral values deny humans from returning to the original way of living. People are educated to be judgmental to the extent that they will deprive the freedom for others to merely strip off.<\/p>\n

We come into the world equal and without clothes. Perhaps we will leave it the same way too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Complete nudity in public is outlawed in Hong Kong but local nudists have been quietly sun-bathing in the more remote beaches of the territory. For them, nudism is about getting back to basics, being closer to nature and finding a refuge from the superficiality of modern city life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1986,836],"tags":[139,40],"class_list":["post-3754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-issue-125","category-lifestyle","tag-nudity","tag-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3754"}],"version-history":[{"count":83,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21430,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3754\/revisions\/21430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}