A Taiwan theme park giving perks to visitors wearing school uniforms with short skirts has sparked outrage with claims that the offer objectifies women.
The Leofoo Village Theme Park, in Hsinchu County, launched a campaign granting visitors in school uniforms fitting this description a discounted admission of NT$500 (£13.50), down from NT$999 (£27).
The deal was applicable through June to the end of August for guests of all ages, the theme park said.
According to Taiwan News, those wearing school uniform skirts that sat at least 10cm (3.9 inches) above their knees could also claim a free photo shoot.
The campaign had sparked criticism, with many commenting that the discount objectifies women.
According to local news outlet CNA, a comment on an online forum said there was “something lewd” about the park’s scheme.
Wu Tzu-ying, the executive secretary of the Modern Women's Foundation non-profit group, told CNA the park's scheme could lead to privacy concerns.
It had the potential to also increase the risk of women having upskirt photos taken of them, they said.
A park representative told CNA that the campaign was designed to give students an “unforgettable outing” to mark the end of the school year.
There was no restriction on the gender or age of visitors who wished to grab the discounted tickets, they said.
This meant men could also show up in school uniforms with skirts.
According to the organisers, the promotion was inspired by Taiwanese singer Cyndi Wang’s (王心凌) music video Loving You (愛你).
The clip features teenage girls in uniform dancing.
The theme park came under fire earlier this year amid accusations that neglect had led to the deaths of eight giraffes at the site over the past decade.
The Taiwan Animal Equality Association, Life Conservationist Association, and AnimalSkies asked the authorities to ban Leofoo Village from importing giraffes as a result of the alleged mistreatment.
Most of the 10 giraffes died before the age of 10; much younger than they normally do in the wild.
According to Taiwan News, the latest incident occurred in January, when a female giraffe named "Pudding" died at 15 years old from enterotoxemia, a condition caused by bacterial infection.
The other giraffes died from an array of conditions, including inbreeding, falling, ingesting a plastic bag, and parasitic infection, according to a joint statement from the animal welfare groups.
