[VIDEO] Nudists Swarm Cleaned-Up River in Beijing
A newly-cleaned river located along Beijing's south Fourth Ring Road has been turned into a public bathing area by opportunistic nude bathers.
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The bank of the Lianghui River in Beijing's You'anmen neighborhood sees a nightly gathering of bathers, all of whom are men, that range in age from 7 to 100. Seen carrying basins with them, the bathers use the river to wash their bodies and clothes, many of whom are seen fully disrobing.
Although the Lianghui River is not particularly deep, the bathers are seen standing in knee-high water, dunking their heads into the river to wash their hair.
Local residents like Mrs. Li don't approve of the bathers. "They use this as a public bath, especially during the hottest part of the summer," said Li.
"Their nudity has a huge impact (on the community), many parents aren't willing to take their children for walks along the river."
Li is clear to distinguish between local residents and the bathers, explaining that "the (migrant) workers come here to bathe after finishing work for the day."
The recent trend is explained to be a result of the improvements the city has made to the local environment. A You'anmen neighborhood operations representative said water treatments made to the Lianghui River have reduced its odor while benefitting the environment, allowing residents to enjoy it.
The representative also did not approve of the bathers, calling their behavior "extremely unsafe." The representative added that the soap and detergent used by the bathers will impact the river's water quality.
The Yong'anmen public bathers came to local media attention after a story on a Fangshan nude swimming area came to prominence last week. However, the latter has the distinction of being a secluded area in the suburbs where locals have been swimming in the nude for at least 20 years all season long.
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However, both locations are equipped with signs forbidding swimming of any kind.
Public nudity is frowned upon in China, but that hasn't stopped some people. Last month, security guards were assaulted by a group of seven men they attempted to stop from nude bathing in Fuyang, Anhui. In March, a group of men was spotted swimming in the nude in a clean water reservoir in Hui'an, Fujian (see video below).https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=m038891ibgj&width=500&height=375&auto=0
Images: Weibo, NetEase (163.com)
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