Germany experienced a very hot June this year – for many, perhaps a little too hot. I simply call it summer.
And yet, if it were 12 degrees and constant rain right now, the complaints would likely be just the same. Then it would be: “Where’s the summer gone?” Talking about the weather seems to be something of a national pastime in Germany.
I’m not in Germany at all, though, but in Phuket. It’s around 30 degrees here, and we’re in the rainy season. It’s also low season, which means things are noticeably quieter than during the winter months.
Of course it rains during the monsoon. Sometimes it pours through the night, sometimes for half a day, and at other times a shower lasts just five minutes. After that, the sun is often straight back out again.
Still, life here feels like permanent summer mode.
People adapt almost automatically, without giving it much thought. And it is in moments like these that you notice a small everyday habit common in many hot regions: men rolling up their T-shirts – the so-called “Beijing Bikini” or “Peking Bikini”.
It refers to the act of lifting or rolling up a T-shirt so the midriff is exposed, usually for no other reason than to cool down in the heat. The term originally comes from observations in Beijing and has since spread internationally as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek label for the same behaviour elsewhere.
The term is informal and often used in a slightly humorous way. In some Chinese cities, there were even campaigns against the practice later on, as it was considered undesirable in certain public spaces.
It describes men rolling their T-shirts up to just below the chest, walking through the streets with their stomachs exposed, playing cards, working, or simply sitting in the shade – sometimes even construction workers taking a quick break like this in the middle of a job to cool down and catch their breath.
More than just a way to cool down
Many people deal with it in a very pragmatic way: why sweat unnecessarily when a bit less fabric already helps? Rolling up a shirt is rarely a statement – more a simple way of feeling more comfortable in the heat.
In Thailand in particular, you often see this among older men for whom it is completely normal to cope with the heat in this way. The younger generation, too, has long since adopted the habit.
For many of the older generation, it is nothing remarkable – no pose, no performance, just everyday routine.
The Moment It Became a “Phenomenon”
Its name originates from observations of everyday public life in China’s capital, Beijing. During particularly hot summer months, it was common to see men rolling up their T-shirts and exposing their stomachs in an effort to cope with the high temperatures.
For a long time, this was simply a local, ordinary sight.
Then came smartphones, social media, and travel photography.
Suddenly, these scenes began circulating globally. What had once been a completely normal habit turned into a recognisable internet phenomenon.
One Behaviour, Many Places
The behaviour itself is not exotic at all. In many warm regions around the world, you see similar things: rolled-up shirts, open shirts, improvised ways of dealing with the heat.
The difference is less the behaviour itself, and more the fact that it was given a name – and in doing so, suddenly became noticeable.
And that’s where the body comes into play
While such terms are being discussed, something very simple is happening in everyday life: people are reacting to the heat.
Has rolling up your T-shirt also become normal in your country?
It’s not a trend, and it’s not a style. More a quiet surrender to the temperature.
The term “Beijing Bikini” almost sounds like a cultural label for something deeply human: when it’s hot, clothing simply becomes secondary.
Mai Pen Rai – Less Fuss, More Life
The next heatwave in Germany will come for sure. In Thailand, one would simply say: “Mai pen rai.”
This little phrase carries many meanings – one of them might even be useful to you: a more relaxed attitude towards things you cannot change anyway. Stop getting worked up about things that are beyond your control.
Traffic on the way home? Mai pen rai. The weather forecast already predicting the next heatwave? Mai pen rai. The shady spot in the café already taken? Mai pen rai.
Composure may not lower the temperature – but it often makes hot days feel a lot more bearable.
Is weather a big talking point where you are too – just casual small talk sometimes, sometimes more of a proper conversation – and do people actually tend to moan about it the way Germans often do, or is that just not really a thing elsewhere?
The “Mai Pen Rai” Attitude – Not Easy for Europeans
It’s easier said than done – perhaps also because it is, in a way, part of the German “DNA” to look at things critically and get annoyed quite quickly. And yet: it is worth a try. It does no one any harm to allow a bit more calm in moments like these. On the contrary – it ultimately helps you most, and your own sense of balance.
No matter where you live, the next heatwave is bound to come. Mai pen rai – roll up your T-shirt, relax, and simply let summer be summer.