Builders wrapped more than 6,500ft of straw around the steel structure which stands on an altar atop 1,250ft high Qinlong Hill.

"It is a totem of Shamanistic culture, which originated in this city," says the president of the park, Cheng Weiguang.

Legend says a Shaman hero named Ewenki vanquished a cruel female ruler and gave her a penis totem, telling her to respect males and not kill them at will.

After this, the ruler set a penis totem on top of the hill, reports East Asia Economic and Trade News.

Shi Lixue, director of the China Folk Culture Association, backed the project, saying: "It symbolizes our ancestors' pursuit of happiness and prosperity."

And, although some tourists said they felt uncomfortable about the statue, others were unmoved.