Zhangjiajie's mayor is such a toon

That's it. We're packing our bags and moving to Hunan. Not content with having the best TV station, a decent claim to the best food, and some pretty stunning scenery, the south-eastern province also has a pretty cool party official. Well, relatively cool we mean.

Zhao Xiaoming who, as we're sure you know, is mayor of scenic spot Zhangjiajie has caused a stir on the Chinese internet over his involvement with the area's forthcoming folk music festival. Given the hassle usually associated with putting on a music festival in the country, a Chinese official getting animated over such an issue wouldn't normally be news, except that - in this case - Zhao's animation is literal. He's sanctioned a buck-toothed, bespectacled cartoon of himself to help promote the festival.

According to Rednet, where you can also watch the video, this is potentially the first time a government official has willingly had themselves portrayed in this manner and the mayor's decision has caused wide-ranging debate. Good for him we say, but surely they should have changed the lyrics for the accompanying music?

More on the web
To watch the video go here.
To read some English translation and further comment visit China News Wrap's story.