Facekini Craze at China Beach Encourages Quest for Lighter Skin

By Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, August 21, 2012

There is a new trend that has been covering visitors of China's beaches recently. Beachgoers are trying to avoid the sun's rays by donning Face-Kini's that cover the entire head.

People wearing the facekini have been spotted in the coastal tourist city of Qingdao in the Shandong Province. The masks completely cover the swimmers' heads, revealing only their eyes, noses, and mouths.

"These have been extremely popular," said Zaizaibao, an online seller from Henan on the largest shopping website taobao.com, according to NBCNews.com.

"We are already out of the pink ones ... All of them sell well. Orange is the most effective in protecting people from sea creatures," the seller added.

Users of the Face-Kini don't have to break the bank to have one. They are selling the factory-made Face-Kini for 15 to 25 yuan or around $5 U.S. dollars. Users also reveal that they are very effective at repelling insects and jellyfish.

For all the protection the Face-Kini offers, there is another reason that they are becoming so popular- it has to do with appearance and perceived social status.

For generations, society in China has come to place favor on those with fairer skin as it was a sign of prestige and wealth, while tanned skin was considered to be the color of the field worker, which had a lower social status.

"I myself don't mind getting tanned, but I can see why pale skin is attractive," said Alina Zhao, a college student in the U.S. who grew up in Zhejiang, China, according to NBCNews.com.

"It definitely has to do with the history of China, which is largely an agricultural society … Getting tanned means you work outside in the fields a lot, so skin color is like an indicator of your social status. The fairer you are, the wealthier or more respected you seem," Zhao added.