Female visitors to Tang Paradise in Xi’an, China’s Shaanxi province, were offered a chance to enter the theme park without paying between June 15 and 19, coinciding with this year’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday. According to China Daily, the offer was available only to women weighing more than 61.8 kilograms.
The unusual promotion was based on beauty standards associated with China’s Tang Dynasty, when a fuller figure was considered desirable. Women who exceeded the specified weight were eligible for the title “Beauty of Tang Dynasty”.
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Traditional steelyard used to check weight
Tang Paradise, a large theme park designed around traditional Tang-era Chinese architecture, set up a huge straight-beam balance outside its west gate for female visitors taking part in the activity.
The weighing device was modelled on a traditional Chinese steelyard, allowing visitors to check whether they were above the required weight. Those whose weight exceeded the counterweight qualified for the promotion.
A total of 618 complimentary tickets were made available each day during the five-day activity.
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Visitors queue for free entry
The promotion drew a large number of women who lined up to use the weighing scale and see whether they qualified.
One young woman who weighed herself while sitting on a seat suspended by ropes reacted with surprise after meeting the requirement. “Wow, I weigh enough! Can't imagine that being overweight became an advantage,” she said.
The 61.8-kilogram threshold was chosen because it is said to be close to the weight of Imperial Concubine Yang, widely regarded as an embodiment of beauty during the Tang Dynasty.
Tang Paradise is located in Xi’an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, which ruled from 618 to 907.
