Dongguan hopes to rid image as China's 'sex capital'
New promotional videos launched by the city’s propaganda arm aim to shed Dongguan’s reputation as a city of sin, the Yangcheng Evening News reported on Wendesday.
An urban legend in China amongst women looking for husbands remind them that a man who truly loves his wife will never step foot in Dongguan.
Other unflattering nicknames which have stuck with central Guangdong’s former boom town - just a stone's throw away from Hong Kong - include “sweatshop city” and “Sparta of the Orient”.
The 15-second TV spot launched earlier this month and produced in conjunction with the Discovery Channel, promotes the “non-sexual” side of the city. It features “elements of Dongguan” which include parks, lion dances, Cantonese opera singing, a basketball tournament and several well-known entrepreneurs.
Another spot labelled “Hello, Dongguan” will feature prominent celebrities such as basketball star Yi Jianlian and IT industry mogul Wang Zhidong.
The new images officials hope to invoke will be very different from the now debt-laden factory town’s frequent association with sex tourism, which has long help give it the title of China’s “sex capital”.
Branding experts say a city’s brand image is akin to a “golden billboard”.
As for the cost of the entire production, Dongguan’s Propaganda Department says it will remain a “commercial secret”.
