"The Secret Behind the Mask Worn by a Chinese Youth Who Didn't Get a Tan on His Face"

A Young Man's Creative Use of a Lotus Leaf Mask to Escape the Scorching Sun Goes Viral

A video of a young man in China wearing a mask made of lotus leaves to shield himself from the sun while avoiding the heat has gone viral on social networking services (SNS).

A person is wearing a mask made of lotus leaves. SNS capture

According to Chinese local media Zhangyuan Shixun on June 22 (local time), a man named Xiaoyin, who runs a guesthouse, created a lotus leaf mask as a way to escape the scorching heat. The mask, with holes cut out for the eyes and mouth, featured a long stem that resembled "Pinocchio's nose."

The protagonist in the video has been identified as Xiaoyin (30), who operates a guesthouse in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. He explained, "I originally planned to go out with a facial mask pack on, but since there were plenty of lotus leaves near my house, I decided to improvise." He added, "Lotus leaves are available for free every day, they can be reused, and they are very effective."

He went on to say, "Right now, only my face is pale while the rest of my body is tanned," and noted, "By attaching strings to a wide-brimmed straw hat, it was comfortable to wear and offered excellent sun protection." He also shared the mask with his guests, who reportedly responded positively.

Chinese young men wearing lotus leaf masks riding motorcycles. Baidu

Netizens who saw the video commented with reactions such as "Looks like a mosquito," "A character straight out of a Studio Ghibli film," and "A brilliant idea." Since then, numerous videos of people making and showcasing their own lotus leaf masks have been uploaded to local social media. Some netizens described it as "bizarre and scary."

Meanwhile, central and northern regions of China are expecting extreme heat this year. In March, the daytime high in Beijing reached 30 degrees Celsius earlier than any other year in the past 66 years. Not only Beijing and the capital region, but most parts of China are under the influence of warm high pressure, resulting in heat waves that are arriving earlier and lasting longer than usual in many areas.