The bare facts mean it can be a crime

Nudity in public would be hard to defend against a charge of indecent exposure, in contrast to nudity in a stage performance, says Eric Cheung Tat-ming, a law lecturer at the University of Hong Kong.

The right under the Basic Law to freedom of expression or freedom to engage in artistic creation always had to be balanced with public morality and public order, he said.

'It would be easier for a performer on stage - for example, a naked actor in a drama - to argue that nudity is art,' he said. 'For someone who strips in public places to argue that such behaviour is artistic would be more difficult. There is no black and white in the law about what art is - it depends on how the court thinks.'

Under the Crimes Ordinance, a person who, without lawful authority or excuse, indecently exposes his body in public could be charged with indecency in public. If found guilty, the offender could be liable to a fine of $1,000 and up to six months in prison.