| Written by thingfish,
on 27-02-2005 21:24
|
Plans for Hong Kong’s first
naturist resort hit a predictable setback last week, when rural village
representatives the Heung Yee Kuk announced their opposition.
 |
| Kau Sai Chau. Pic courtesy of HK Gov
|
The Hong Kong Body Arts Association had been winning
surprising support among politicians for its plan to develop Hong
Kong’s first naturist resort on a secluded beach near Sai Kung.
According to The Standard, the group believed their resort
on Kau Tung Wan beach would attract HK$80 million in investments.
The paper quoted rural committee leader Lau Wan-hei as
saying “It is not mature now. They [the villagers] will oppose it… I personally
oppose it.”
As the beach is on the uninhabited island of Kau Sai Chau,
they can’t even argue that old ladies might be startled by accidentally bumping
into naked picnickers. Even armed with binoculars, the Kuk’s grandmothers would
have a hard time getting their knickers twisted.
The legendary conservatism of some villagers is the only
justification the Kuk’s members have found to justify their opposition.
Funnily enough, it’s the same reason this self-interested,
interfering, undemocratic bunch of aging busybodies use to oppose every sign of
progress in the New
Territories; be it votes
for women or land-rights for non-native sons.
A nudist paradise
Despite the Kuk’s protestations, naturism is not a new idea
in Hong Kong. Back in the 1950’s, Wok Dai Bay, in the northwest New Territories,
was “a nudist paradise” according to the Hong Kong Tourist Board. “Its serene
setting was very attractive to nudists who were looking for a secluded beach.
When news about the beach broke out, though, Wok Dai Bay became a popular sightseeing
attraction. There was always a large flow of visitors on holidays. However the
locals, women in particular, found the nudist camp offensive and chose to stay
away.”
There are dangers to the plan. Naked barbecuers could suffer
painful burns, or people could accidentally skewer the wrong chipolata. And the
bay would be a magnet to weekend boat-trippers, leading to the risk of junk
captains paying more attention to the action on-shore than off.
|
| Some naked tourists, not photographed yesterday. They're not Chinese, the beach isn't in China, but you get the idea. |
Other than the proposed naked beach, Kau Sai Chau is home to
an old temple and two golf courses.
Without the interference of some reactionary old miseries,
Kau Tung Wan could be a magnet to tourists. The beach is hidden from the golfers,
and more secluded inland areas could offer shelter for the bashful beginner.
While Hong Kong has little
more than its food to distinguish itself from neighbouring destinations, a
nekkid beach would draw a whole new class of tourists.
the emperor's new clothes
Besides the obvious potential of the west, where naturism is
a long-established pastime, Kau Tung Wan could also appeal to Hong
Kong’s biggest tourist source, the mainland.
China may
seem a more conservative society than Hong Kong,
but in many ways, the mainland is well ahead. Most Chinese people grew up
around communal showers and toilets. When you’ve taken a few squats alongside
your neighbours, you soon lose a few major inhibitions.
Prosperity has rescued the mainland’s middle classes from
the horrors of the public poo, but it has also opened their minds to new
experiences and personal freedom.
In August last year, China’s
first officially sanctioned naturist park opened up in Zhejiang Province.
The tiny beauty spot, on the edge of a turquoise river
surrounded by woodlands in the Zhexi
Valley, was open for just
a fortnight before local officials decided to suspend operations.
Though Zhejiang’s
Today Morning Express claimed local swimmers were ‘too modest’ to use the beach, Singapore
tabloid Today quoted a local official as saying “We do still want to do it,
once related regulations are sorted out. I would say there are as many people
who support the scheme as there are opposed to it."
Clearly, there is demand for naturist spots in China, just as there is in Taiwan, Japan,
Singapore and Australia. And
if local councillors can treat the issue with just an ounce of maturity, there’s
no reason why Hong Kong shouldn’t be able to
profit from that demand.
After all that, if the Body Arts Association do ever get
approval for their plans, I doubt if I’d ever be among the visitors. For one
thing, I have no wish to see any of my friends naked, and I’ve no doubt they’d
say the same about me. But even if I went alone, I suspect the sight of a beachful
of naked Hong Kong women playing volleyball would
leave me with a sunburned back. Perhaps the old farts at the Heung Yee Kuk have
the same fear.
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