Viral: What is the 'Beijing Bikini' phenomenon in China and why is it trending on social media

The summers are here and so is the need to wear breathable clothes that don't make one feel suffocated and allow air flow in order to prevent excessive sweating. During the season, most prefer wearing as less layers as possible, mostly sleeveless or cropped clothes.

While this might work for women who have multiple designs in their wardrobe, men don't have many options in terms of clothes and summer fashion.Recently, a social media user took to X to share a screenshot of the popular Chinese 'Beijing Bikini' trend writing, 'It's almost that time again' Their post has received 3.4M views with 167 comments.

What is the Beijing Bikini trend and why is it so popular? Let's find out.

The Beijing Bikini trend

Over the years the men of China have figured out an intelligent way of escaping the summer heat and this fashion trend is known as the 'Beijing Bikini'.

During the summers, you will see multiple men on the streets of China following the trend that has been condemned by the people and even the Chinese government.The Beijing Bikini is a phenomenon where people, mostly men, roll up their T-shirts to the midriff as a means of cooling down in the scorching heat of China. You can see multiple men sporting the Beijing Bikini while hanging around in the streets, playing cards, drinking tea or strolling through the neighbourhood.

During the COVID-19 period, the Chinese government banned the Beijing Bikini in order to improve public hygiene but with the pandemic all gone and life being back to normal, people are expecting the trend to make a return.

Social media reactions

While people have been anticipating the return of the trend, some have even seen it IRL on the streets of China."The glorious Beijing bikini" wrote an X user posting pictures of several men sporting the Beijing Bikini.Many announced that they would be sporting the trend this summer writing, "beijing bikini summer bout to be lit" and "ur gonna catch me in the beijing bikini this summer""i been doin this damn near my whole life" added a Chinese X user in the comments.Some added how the Beijing Bikini trend is not just limited to China but is popular all over Asia during the summers including Japan and India. "All Asian men do this when it’s humid" and "This is just Asia haha, it definitely cools you off"An American X user quickly asked for the Beijing Bikini trend to be added to the American culture, writing, "We must add this to the American culture. STAT!"