China to build 13-mile dragon to fire up tourism

SHANGHAI, Mar 27 (Reuters) Chinese investors are building a 13-mile concrete dragon to breathe fire into the tourism industry, but some experts have already branded it a cultural gaffe, a newspaper said today.

The dragon, which will wind along the ridge of Shizu mountain in central Henan province, would be finished in time to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Communist rule in 2009, the Shanghai Daily said today.

''The 21-km (13-mile) length represents the wish that China will experience rapid development in the 21st century,'' the Shanghai Daily quoted the project director, Li Xiong, as saying.

The dragon's head would be 30 metres high and its body nine metres high and six metres wide. Some 5.6 million pieces of white marble and gilded bronze would form scales that ''symbolise the country's 56 ethnic groups'', the paper said.

Its hollowed out body would have display rooms with a variety of themes, including ''filial piety, loyalty, and patriotism''. A light rail to transport tourists to the dragon and a ''luxury club'' were also part of the plan, the paper said.

About 3.88 million dollar had been spent on the 300 million yuan project, but the figure could balloon to four billion yuan if all suggested designs were used, it said.

The project was under fire from some experts who said it was inappropriate, the paper said.

''Shizu mountain is a symbol of Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor, who is considered the earliest ancestor of China,'' the paper quoted Dai Songcheng, director of the Henan institute of culture, as saying.

''Such an immense structure on the mountaintop is disrespectful to Huangdi.'' REUTERS MS SSC1028