A new 'health' trend in Hong Kong sees women staring straight at the sun in the belief that it will replace their need for food and even improve their vision and sleep quality, reports Oriental Daily.

据《东方日报》报道，香港女性中兴起了直视太阳的“养生”新潮流，她们认为这样就不需要进食，甚至能改善视力、提高睡眠质量。

The women, between 20 and 30 years old, reportedly head to the Sam Ka Village beach in Lei Yue Mun every evening and take off their shoes before setting their phone timers and stand to stare at the sunset - some using an umbrella or a tissue to protect their skin.

报道称，每晚都会有一批20到30岁的女性前往鲤鱼门的三家村沙滩，脱掉鞋子，按下手机计时器，凝视落日，也有人撑伞、用纸巾遮脸以防晒伤。

The concept of 'sun gazing' or 'sun eating' revolves¹ around consuming the sun's solar energy instead of food and that by doing so it can reduce the body's needs.

“凝视太阳”论或“食日”论的要点是以太阳能代替食物能量，以此减少身体需要。

Photographs show the women lined up together in the blaring sun, seemingly unaware² of the people around them as they engage in the bizarre practice.

照片中，女士们在刺眼的阳光下一字排开，旁若无人地沉浸在这项怪异活动之中。

Some of the women choose to wear pinhole glasses to limit the UV rays getting to their eyes and causing permanent damage.

有些女士会带针孔眼镜防止紫外线灼伤眼睛，造成永久伤害。

Some of the sun gazers stress they are doing it for health reasons, not weight loss. 'We practice sun-gazing as a substitute for eating. Some of us who have finished the therapy now eat less, and others don’t have to eat at all,' one woman told Oriental Daily. She said they start by looking at the sun for up to 10 seconds on the first day, adding 10 seconds every day until they reach 44 minutes by the ninth month of practice.

她们中有人强调这样做是为了养生，而不是减肥。一名女子接受《东方日报》采访时说，“我们用凝视太阳代替进食。我们中已经有人完成食日疗程后食量减少，有些人甚至无需进食。”她说，“食日”者第一天凝视太阳10秒钟，每天加10秒钟，到第9个月增至44分钟。

Dermatology specialist, Hou Xiang Jun, is concerned about the rising trend, saying the subtropical region, high ultraviolet degree and water reflection is leading to far too much ultraviolet light absorption. 'Even if painted with sunscreen they can only withstand five to six per cent of the damage, an umbrella or cap can only take 10 - 20 per cent and long exposure, in addition to sunburn, will increase the risk of serious skin cancer,' Mr Xiang Jun told Oriental Daily.

皮肤学专家侯钧翔则对这一新趋势表示担忧，他指出，香港位于亚热带地区，紫外线度数很高，加上海水反射，人体吸收过多紫外线。即使涂上防晒用品只能抵挡五至六成的伤害，撑伞或者带帽也只能防晒10%-20%。长期在太阳下暴晒，除了会导致晒伤，还会增加患皮肤癌的风险。”

Ophthalmology experts are also concerned, naming conjunctival disease, cataracts³ and macular degeneration as potential side effects.

眼科学专家同样表示担忧，他们指出这项活动会导致结膜病变、白内障和黄斑点退化等潜在副作用。