It was a G-string too far for China’s prudish authorities, which swung the wrecking balls yesterday to demolish the country’s first sex theme park before it could even open.

The developers had hoped that Love Land would break an ancient taboo and encourage people to talk openly about sex as well as improve their performance in bed. However, their apparent act of altruism was dismissed as “an evil influence on society” and torn down before visitors could inspect the park’s statues of giant genitals or participate in sex technique workshops.

Among the first displays to be destroyed was a rotating signboard with the park’s name, straddled by a giant pair of women’s legs topped by a red thong.

Lu Xiaoqing, the park’s manager, bemoaned the lack of sexual openness in China, where just three decades ago it was deemed provocative for a woman to have long hair or to wear a skirt. “Sex is a taboo subject in China but people really need to have more access to information about it,” he said. “We are building the park for the good of the public. I have found that the majority of people support my idea.”

He clearly failed to win over propaganda officials in the southwestern city of Chongqing, who inspected the site after photographs appeared on the internet. “The investigation determined the park’s content was vulgar and that it was neither healthy nor educational. It had an evil influence on society and had to be torn down immediately,” an official said.

He Shizhong, head of the municipal publicity department, said that the company had “ignored its social responsibility and was interested only in profiting from sensationalism”.

One man told Global Times, an English-language newspaper in China: “I’m glad the park was demolished because the displays were really rough and had no artistic quality.” Another wrote on a popular chat forum: “Too many people can’t break through traditional barriers so it might be too early to build such a park.”

Some would-be visitors were displeased. “The park was above board so why was it pulled down? How can a country get powerful if it doesn’t open its mind?”

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