Town where women rule to be built in Chongqing

The world's first "women's town," where women rule and men are punished for disobedience, is being planned in Chongqing.

The idea, based on the local traditional concept of "women rule and men obey" was told to Reuters by a tourism official. The plan is to transform the 2.3 sq km Longshiuhu village in Chongqing so that it reflects this concept. According to the official, women in Sichuan and Chongqing traditionally dominate, while men have to be obedient. Tourism officials hope to use this concept to boost tourism in the area.

The official said that the tourism bureau planned to invest between 200 million yuan (19 million euros) and 300 million yuan (28.6 million euros) to improve infrastructure in the area. The tourist bureau is also looking for foreign investors.

The new town's motto will be "women never make mistakes, and men can never refuse women's requests."

According to Reuters, when tour groups enter the town, female tourists would play the dominant role when shopping or choosing a place to stay. A disobedient man would be punished by being made to kneel on an uneven board or washing dishes in a restaurant.

The project, which was begun in the end of 2005 was expected to be finished between three to five years.