 A video grab of the TV series "Journey to the West" adapted
from a cognominal novel shows the queen of the Kingdom of Women and
San-tsang monk. (file)
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The Kingdom of Women, which San-tsang monk and his prentices passed through
on their way to the Heaven as depicted in the Journey to the West, will become
reality in a mountainous town in southwest China.
A local tourism official announced Tuesday the town of Tongqiao in southwest
China's Chongqing Municipality has commenced a massive renovation scheme of
building the region into a "town of women" in an effort to attract tourists,
highlighting feminist lifestyle and matriarchy.
On one occasion in the mythic novel, the queen of the all-women kingdom who
fell in love with the monk refused to stamp a visa on his passport document
to let them through, however, men who wish to develop a romance in Tongqiao
might be disappointed, as all that men can do is to obey any of
women's instructions, and are not supposed to complain or appeal in the
"kingdom" of female's sovereignty.
In the remote and underdevelped town, a majority of men labor in nearby
cities to make a living for the whole year, leaving women at home, which becomes
advantageous to build a women themeland.
As one of the tourist attractions, there will establish a "court" with a
female "judge" and "tipstaffs", whose duties are only to punish men who
dare defy women's authority. In fact nearly every male visitor to the town will
be whipped, though the whip is very soft, as a reminder for treating their wives
better, according to the scheme.
All these tricky "rules" are made to entertain visitors. Tong Jiuying, the
future director of the women's kingdom, said she hoped tourists would have fun
playing the game of feminism.