Greece and the body beautiful Nude sports originated in ancient Greece. At that time people believed that the human body is one of the most beautiful things in nature, and the best vehicle to demonstrate human self-confidence and pride. Therefore, the Greeks not only engaged in nudism during festivals and sports activities, but also in a variety of art forms to express and praise the human body. This concept and social practice was extended later to the ancient Roman Empire. However, with the rise of Christianity such practices were considered the work of the devil, as Christianity at that time believed the human body was the carrier of all avarice and sin. During the Renaissance, humanists again began to promote the belief that the human body is beautiful, and started depicting and eulogizing the nude body in art. Although this current had been repressed by Protestant asceticism, it was always present in European culture.

Word of mouth

Since public acceptance and the law are equally lacking, nudists clubs and activities in big cities such as Beijing are still limited to nudists who get to know each other through word of mouth. Wang Yang said new members can only join their club if recommended by a friend.

Wang Yang organizes getaways to Beijing's mountainous areas such as Fangshan from spring to autumn, and nude swimming is his favorite pastime. "Since we know each other well, awkward situations such as erections never happen, and we take our outing in a playful manner, no different from fully dressed people hiking up a mountain. There is no sex involved, nobody would even think about it. The only difference perhaps is that without the constraint of clothes, we can appreciate nature more," he said.

"Several years ago, we used to go nude swimming after 10 pm in Bayi Lake at Yuyuantan Park. Actually there were a lot of nude swimmers. It was an ideal place for nudists, because it is in the city, so we didn't have to traipse out to the suburbs. But two years ago the water quality deteriorated, and we had to relocate all our activities to remote places. I believe this shows that a growing number of city residents long for a release from the ever-increasing tempo of city life, and there should be a venue for them to shed some of their pressures. Naturist activities are ideal in this regard."

Wang said the public has a distorted vision of nudists. Even in the West, nudist activities have to comply with certain codes, members are prohibited from using any language or doing anything that make others feel uncomfortable or unpleasant, especially criticizing someone else's body. Staring at others is impolite and even couples cannot openly express sexually suggestive topics.

A cultural signal

Fang Gang, the sex expert, said the rise of spontaneous nudists' activities is a cultural signal, which shows that Chinese people's sexual attitudes and multicultural acceptance are evolving. Several hundred online message boards dedicated to naturists have emerged in recent years. Type "Beijing naturists" on QQ (China's version of Microsoft live messenger), and you will find at least 20 to 30 such groups.

In his book Nudists: Contrasting Observations Between the Chinese Mainland and Taiwan, Fang portrays the inner world and the real practice of China's nudists, so the public can hear their true voice and show greater tolerance. Many naturists admit that the current social atmosphere makes them feel like criminals.

"Nudism is just a way of life. It is nothing to be ashamed of. But I cannot help feeling some people treat us like perverts," said Wang Yang.

But, he said, times change and such narrow-minded thinking will change sooner rather than later. Until then he "doesn't care about what people think".

Contact the writer at zhanglei@chinadaily.com.cn