Keep your shirt on! Chinese city introduces fines for stripping off in public
- Authorities in Jinan say it is also an offence to wash your laundry – or your feet – in the city’s famous springs
- New restrictions added to list of public order offences, which already included spitting and speaking loudly in public
It might be hot in the city, but anyone tempted to take their shirt off in public in Jinan, the capital of east China’s Shandong province, is likely to find themselves in even hotter water after local authorities announced a new plan to crack down on antisocial behaviour.
Stripping to the waist anywhere outside the boundaries of your own home, swimming in local waterways, or washing your clothes – or feet – in the city’s famous springs was now punishable by a fine, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.
The violations have been added to a list of other public order offences – including speaking loudly in open spaces, spitting, littering and jaywalking – that was announced on March 1, following the lead of a number of other Chinese cities.
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While the report did not detail the fines, it quoted an unnamed official as saying the aim of the new rule was not to make money but to educate people.
“Penalties are not the ultimate purpose,” the official said. “We just want people to pay more attention [to bad behaviour].”
Social media users were quick to air their views on the new restrictions.
“How can I show off my eight abdominal muscles?” one person said on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform.
“Can TV still show live boxing competitions? How much will the sports channels be fined?” said another.
“I just want to know whether men need to wear swimming shirts as well as trunks?” said a third.
But at least one person seemed pleased that the authorities were cracking down on casual nudity.
“Support! It’s so embarrassing whenever I see shirtless men on the street. Can’t they just dress properly?”
Jinan is the fourth Chinese city to introduce fines for stripping off in public, after Shenyang, Handan and Tianjin.
In Shenyang, which has had the rule since 2015, being shirtless in public is not only punishable with a fine but authorities also report the offence to the offender’s employer.
