SANYA - A man who insisted sunbathing naked in the resort city of Sanya in China's southernmost province of Hainan has been thrown in jail for five days, local police announced on Tuesday.

The middle-aged man, a tourist from Heilongjiang, the country's most northern province, refused to put on clothes at Sanya East China Sea public beach despite staff having asked him several times, according to Sanya police.

Nude swimming and sunbathing is nothing new to Sanya. In certain areas, several nude beachgoers are discovered daily, usually claiming the sun helps alleviate skin complaints.

Beach staff regularly patrol public beaches, telling people to wear bathing suits, and surveillance cameras will be installed soon, according to the city's police.

A notice from Sanya police makes it clear that people who insist on swimming or sunbathing nude on public beaches will be detained for five to ten days. Since February 6, police have posted notices to this effect on the Dadonghai beach.

Both residents and tourists had appealed to authorities to ban nude swimming and sunbathing. The behavior is seen as disrespectful to women and children.