Gejiu City in southern Yunnan Province, southwest China, will build an entertainment center on the basis of the world's narrowest railway line.

Luo Daishun, vice mayor of Gejiu City, believed the projected entertainment center would have a strong appeal to tourists because of the narrowest railway line whose both steel bars are only 0.6 meters wide, believed to be the narrowest in the world.

"It is expected in the early years after the entertainment center is finished and put into service, the least number of tourist arrivals will be 300,000 a year," said Luo.

The narrowest railway road, which starts from Gejiu, runs eastwardly through Bisezhai and ends at Shiping, also in Yunnan Province, was constructed to transport tin ores out from mining pits among big mountains in Yunnan 84 years ago.

But the construction this time will be concentrated on the 34-km section inside Gejiu City of the above mentioned railway line. Luo didn't say for certain when construction of the project would begin.

According to Luo, the entire project will cost 20 million yuan (about 2.47 million US dollars) which will be raised through open bidding.

(Xinhua News Agency October 27, 2005)