A story about the recent heat wave on Chinese TV was illustrated by shots of women in Beijing, Xi’An and other cities wearing hot pants and miniskirts to stay cool.

Indeed, contemporary Chinese women are as chic and hot/cool as their European counterparts when it comes to fashion. And young Chinese men are doing their best to keep up with the grunge and tattoo look.

But when a “Follow the Idiot” reader asked me to post some shots of “Chinese chicks” the one I chose is this telling photo of a woman wearing a “Live Free/Love Free” T next to a soldier in Tiananmen Square.

Chic Chinese "chick" in Tiananmen Square.

Military chic in front of Communist party HQ in Tiananmen Square.

The message in China is clear: you can wear what you want but this is still a communist country. The government’s just trying, despite loads of obvious contradictions, to permit the evolution of a Communist Chinese Chic look.

Yet tradition continues.

Traditional Chinese chic at Tang Dynasty opera.

Traditional Chinese worker making a terracotta warrior.

And western tourists keep introducing new fashion trends.

The Idiot, trying to look chic, poses for young Chinese photographers.

Postscript: Ever Tibetward, follow The Idiot’s journey into Tibet July 8 -9 from Lunzhou to Xiahe on the Tibetan plateau which has one of biggest Buddhist monasteries in China.

Text and Photos: Joel Stratte-McClure

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About Joel

Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."