Shanghai beach babes bust bikini barrier

From using beauty as "capital" to upside down bikinis, the stars of the Beach Honey awards are making China safe for racy beach fashion

By Sean Hanratty, Tracy You 11 August, 2011

Shanghai may not have the best beaches in Asia, but the city makes up for it with skimpy fashion. Bikinis are not widely accepted in many other parts of China.

Let’s face it -- most readers won’t care about what we write in this post.  For those who actually do, congratulations, because you're about to learn how you can participate in one of the sexiest events in Shanghai this summer.
After nearly four months of national draft, the 2011 Beach Honey competition -- organized by Shanghai's Dino Beach water park -- is coming to a head this month, with semifinals scheduled on August 11 and August 16, and the finals on August 20 and 21.
Who better to explain the rigors of bikini competition than champion beach honeys from last year’s competition?
Each of the five below will appear as guest stars during this year's Beach Honey finals. Assuming that you'll be too shy to chat them up in person, we've kindly taken it upon ourselves to break the ice with questions about parental approval and the roles of beauty and plastic surgery in evolving China.
Click on each girl in the flash below for more images and a one-on-one interview.

getting there

Dino Beach

78 Xinzhen Lu, near Gudai Lu
新镇路78号, 近顾戴路
+ 86 21 6478 3333
www.64783333.com
RMB 120 (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday), RMB 150 (Wednesday and Friday), RMB 200 (Saturday and Sunday)
All Beach Honey contests start from 12:30 p.m..