Chinese women dare to bare in bikinis shunning one-piece swimsuits

This summer, bikinis have replaced the conservative one-piece swimsuit for beach wear, highlighting the rising number of young Chinese women opting to show more flesh.

"Chinese women are becoming more and more fashionable," English.news.cn quoted Amy Fu of Hennes and Mauritz (H and M) communications department as saying.

"They are open to all kinds of swimwear with good design. Fashion is global, so the bikini is as popular in China as it is in other countries," she added.

Experts explain that one of the factors behind the popularity of the bikini was the growing trend for entertainment and leisure water activities rather than sports.

"Though the one-piece swimsuit still takes up the dominant share of our sales, it has been, and continues to be, an inevitable trend that the bikini will take over as the major force in the market," said Peng Danrong, general manager of Hosa Group, a leading swimwear designer and manufacturer in China.

Set to take off for her trip to Sanya in South China, 22-year old Liu Fang excited said, "a bikini for a beach vacation is like an evening gown for a banquet."

"They may use little fabric but they deserve the same respect as any other clothes," she added.