Nude bike event to promote green energy

CHINA – In China, it is uncommon to find half-naked men and women in bikinis on bikes.

But on May 27, there were more than 30 of them, riding from the Orient Sports Center to the Binjiang Park in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area.

They participated in the “naked” bike event, backed by the China Communist Youth League Shanghai Committee.

The activity is the third such event in the city, after two spontaneous ones held over the last two years, to promote healthy lifestyle and zero-carbon transportation.

“I am tired of the pressure of staying in the office all day. This is a wonderful platform to relax and meet friends,” says Han Guqiao, a Shanghai native. “It is also a good approach to promote green commuting and to raise public consciousness of green energy.”

Another participant, Shen Jiajin, says he is all for low petrol dependency. As a veteran biker, he took part in last year’s event and even brought three friends with him to spread the message.

However, the respond to this year’s exercise was a far cry from last year’s, which attracted about 200 people.

Event founder Zhang Linyuan, 38, said attendance was significantly lower than what the organizers expected although more than 100 people, including some from the United States, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong and Macao, had officially signed up and more said they would come.

“We had wanted the event to be a simple one,” said Zhang, who is also the founder of Prodigy Cycling Club. But the event this year assumed too many roles.

For instance, it was designated as part of a celebration, along with another regular cycling event, to promote the first Shanghai citizen sports meet that will kick off in half a month’s time.

And, the event lost its charms because every move was strictly regulated.

To prevent any possible untoward incidents, police officers were at various spots including where participants undressed and painted their bodies.

Compared to the World Naked Bike Ride, where bikers are in

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