Actress Zhang Ziyi Topless

BEIJING: More than 80 pictures of well-known Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi sunbathing topless and frolicking on a beach have appeared online, sending netizens here wild yesterday.

The photos first appeared on the Internet on Monday - the same day that the Chinese government sent out stern warnings to 19 top websites over issues of pornography and vulgarity.

The photos, taken by a Los Angeles-based paparazzi agency, showed Zhang on the Caribbean island of St Barts with her fiance, Israeli investor Vivi Nevo, last Friday.

The star of the Hollywood film Memoirs Of A Geisha was shown taking off her red bikini and lying face down, with her buttocks exposed.

Nevo was shown stroking and nuzzling her buttocks. Zhang was also shot lying on her back, with her breasts clearly revealed.

There were also less revealing pictures of her strolling along the beach with Nevo, who reportedly has a private beach on the island.

The pictures were posted on numerous Chinese websites, attracting a flood of comments from netizens on the star, who was recently named by The Beijing News as China's most beautiful person in 2008 - edging out fellow celebrities Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Zhou Xun.

The website operators quickly deleted many of the revealing pictures and, in a sign of caution amid the official crackdown on pornography, some forums even took down comments left by netizens on the issue. But as of yesterday evening, some of the photos could still be found on less popular websites, an indication of the government's difficulties as it attempts to get tough on adult content in cyberspace.

Sichuan province's Huaxi City newspaper said its reporter had exchanged text messages with Zhang's representatives and the actress was shocked and furious when she learnt of the pictures. The Beijing-born star is in the United States.

Zhang's manager did not dispute the authenticity of the pictures in her statement to the media. She said: 'Ziyi and her fiance were holidaying on a beach as a part of normal life and as a matter of personal privacy.

'I sympathise with all celebrities whose privacy is invaded. It is difficult for them to enjoy vacations and ordinary, everyday life.'

While mainland actresses have appeared nude in films - including Joan Chen, Bai Ling and Tang Wei recently in Lee Ang's Lust, Caution - Zhang is believed to be the first major star to be caught undressed by the paparazzi.

Her expose comes a year after the Edison Chen photo scandal, when the Hong Kong-based actor's collection of intimate shots with various female stars shook the Chinese entertainment industry last January.

Chinese netizens were not sympathetic towards Zhang, slamming her for her modest assets and for being a shameless exhibitionist.

Some even accused her of bringing shame to China and staging the shoot to generate publicity for herself.

'Her figure is really poor and she really showed off her weaknesses. She should be more considerate towards the sentiments of the public,' said one netizen.

'What a disgrace to the Chinese people,' said another.

But there were a few who spoke up on behalf of the actress, whose recent film Forever Enthralled banked more than 100 million yuan (S$22 million) in China.

'It is very normal for Western magazines to shoot actresses sunbathing nude on beaches. Zhang is not the first. She is just the first Chinese actress,' said one.