As the coastal city of Qingdao enters the height of summer, more and more beachgoers are choosing to wear facekinis to protect their faces from the sun.

Facekinis, designed for swimmers and beachgoers, cover the head and leave only the eyes, nose, and mouth exposed, protecting against sunlight and jellyfish stings.

The bizarre masks have become an online sensation and are even becoming a fashion trend, with facekini-themed photo shoots being released in foreign fashion magazines.

The beach accessory was invented by Zhang Shifan, a 64-year-old Qingdao native, back in 2004.

"Swimmers in Qingdao were often stung by jellyfish, and if they were poisoned the stings would leave scars," said Zhang.

She later realized that the danger of jellyfish stings still existed because the suit failed to protect the user's face, so she designed a mask based on diving caps and ski masks. This marked the first generation of the facekini.

Now Zhang has released the eighth generation of her product, adopting more patterns and themes and making it more comfortable and fashionable.

FILE PHOTO: Swimmers and beachgoers show off their swimsuits, which include a facekini. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

Facekini inventor Zhang Shifan with her products [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

The bizarre beauty beach trend is depicted by painters. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]