MCLC: Taiwan plans sex theme park

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Taiwan plans sex theme park
Source: China Real Time blog, WSJ (1/19/15)
Taiwan Plans a ‘Sex Theme Park’
By Jenny W. Hsu
If you are embarrassed by public displays of sexuality, don’t read on.
In a bid to arouse more interest in Taiwan, tourism officials in southern part of the island are aiming to build a “Romantic Boulevard,” a 60-kilometer stretch of land along the coast that will feature an array of places for lovebirds, including a glass church, heart-shaped arches and a kinky outdoor park full of erotic sculptures depicting people or animals in various lovemaking positions.
“We want people to fall in love with Taiwan as well as fall in love while in Taiwan,” said Shih Chao-hui, the deputy director of Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Office, which promotes tourism in the predominantly agricultural counties of Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan.
Mr. Shih said the proposed 10,000-square-meter “sex theme park” – as the media has dubbed it — will likely be modeled after Jeju Loveland in South Korea, a similar attraction where visitors are surrounded by 140 or more salacious statues and exhibits such as oversized genitalia and statues of people engaged in steamy menages-a-trois.
A notice regarding plans for a sex theme park, which appeared on the website of Mr. Shih’s office earlier this month quickly kindled a storm of interest–as well as criticism– from the general public. (The notice was later taken down.) With some hailing the idea as leading-edge and refreshing, others, including the central government’s Tourism Bureau, worry the park might send the wrong message about Taiwan to foreign tourists.
“Look, we are in the business of tourism, not education or religion, so the question should be, will the park generate business opportunities and we believe the answer is yes,” said Mr. Shih to China Real Time, saying he has already received plenty of emails inquiring when the park will be open.
To lure more investments, Mr. Shih said he also hopes to have a hotel next to the park, “just in case visitors want turn their feelings into actions,” he said.
The “Romantic Boulevard,” which for the most part is still under construction or in the planning stage, has already set up a scenic area for engaged couples to take wedding portraits.
According to Mr. Shih, during the four-day New Year break earlier this month, 220,000 people visited the wedding portrait area, a huge jump compared with 20,000 visitors per month in the past.
“We hope to appeal to visitors in all stages of love. So we even plan to have a ‘Lost Paradise’ for those who are broken-hearted,” he said.
Although the Tourism Bureau has not been seduced by the idea of building a sex theme park, it said the suggestion is not completely out of the question and has asked Mr. Shih’s office to provide more details and explanations regarding the initiative.
“Taiwan is a romantic place and we are always looking for creative ways to promote it,” said Chi Yi-lin, a media representative for the bureau.
by denton.2 at osu.edu on January 19, 2015
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