Today.Az » Weird / Interesting » Naked boat-dragging men cause controversy
30 March 2010 [12:43] - Today.Az
A row has been sparked in China over plans to revive an ancient custom for naked men to drag boats through a local beauty spot.
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/
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