Naked boat-dragging men cause controversy

The revival of the naked boat-hauling was suggested by Political adviser Yao Benzhi to boost tourism in the Shennongxi Stream Gorge in Hubei province, a tributary of the Yangtze river.

The naked boatmen had previously attracted visitors from far and wide - until they were ordered a decade ago to cover up, for fear of offending women and children.

60-year-old Zhang Houbiao said the tradition for barges to be hauled by naked boat trackers is hundreds of years old.

'It was a tradition to work naked, as our clothes were made of coarse fabric that chaffed in the water,' he said.


/Metro.co.uk/