酷暑降温妙招 Creative ways Chinese women escape the sun in dog days

A tourist buries herself in sand to protect herself from the sun in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Wang Haibin/Asianewsphoto]

Corresponding to "dog days" in English, the hottest days of the year in China is called "Fu(伏)" , 20-29 days after Summer Solstice(夏至). According to the Chinese solar terms, "Fu" appears between Minor Heat(小暑) and Beginning of Autumn(立秋), divided into three phases(阶段). In 2018, the first phase of "Fu" will be on the days of July 17 to 26, the second phase will be on July 27 to Aug 15, and the third will continue 10 more days. That is to mean, we are entering "Fu"(入伏)in one week.

Chinese pop star Gulnazar sprays sunscreen on the face. [Photo/People's Daily]

During the scorching(炎热的) days, Chinese women seek many creative ways to escape the sun so that they will not get tanned(晒黑), as Chinese always regard white skin(皮肤) as beauty. And another reason is that ultraviolet rays(紫外线) of the sun are very harmful(有害的) to people, burning and aging the skin, or even causing some diseases, like sun related eye and skin complications. 

A tourist wears hat, sunglasses, sunscreen masks and sleeves to escape the sun when she walks along the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo by Xu Kangping/Asianewsphoto]

The most popular ways of sun protection in China are sunscreen(防晒霜), sunshade(遮阳伞), sunglasses(太阳镜), sunscreen masks(防晒面膜), sunscreen clothes(防晒服). Sometimes in the beach they even use facekini(脸基尼). Chinese women seldom use only one way to escape the sun. Instead, they use various combinations to intensify the effect.

A girl enjoys the cool in the sea with sunscreen protection in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Wang Haibin/Asianewsphoto]

Girls wear facekini of Peking opera facial masks in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Wang Haibin/Asianewsphoto]

A woman in Tongling, Anhui province, is armed to the teeth to escape the sun. [Photo by Zhan Jun/Asianewsphoto]

词汇 Words:

[yán rè de] 炎热的 scorching
[yǒu hài de] 有害的 harmful
[zǐ wài xiàn] 紫外线 ultraviolet ray
[pífū] 皮肤 skin
[shài hēi] 晒黑 tan
[fáng shài shuāng] 防晒霜 sunscreen
[zhē yáng sǎn] 遮阳伞 sunshade
[tài yáng jìng] 太阳镜 sunglasses
[fáng shài fú] 防晒服 sunscreen clothes

重点词汇 Key word:

晒 <动词 v.> 

• (of the sun) shine upon
  E.g. Zhè jǐ tiān shài de yàomìng。
  这几天晒得要命。
  There is too much sun these days.

• Bask; dry in the sun
  E.g. Tā yī zhěngtiān dōu zài hǎitān shài tàiyáng。
  她一整天都在海滩晒太阳。
  He spent the whole day sunning himself on the beach.