A newly opened Suzhou teahouse, which is decorated to look like a prison, has led to heated debate among the public about the possible effects on society.

After a week's trial, the teahouse bar, called Four Dimensional Space, fully opened over the weekend in the city's downtown business area.

While the first floor of the two-storied venue is decorated as a normal teahouse, the second floor is divided into nine small iron cages, which have iron door locks and chains.

Waitresses dress like female police officers and stand guard outside the cage doors.

And signs hanging above each door ascribes fictional names to the "criminals" inside and describes their "crimes" and the "punishment" given to them.

One fictional sign that has caused particular controversial describes a rape case, revealing the "criminal" is a man who was arrested after raping a pig while drunk.

Despite the cages, the furniture inside is the same as in other teahouses.

The venue, which has been opened by an investor from Taiwan, and is reported to be the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland, has attracted many customers since it opened.

"Business here is good as we have low prices. Dozens of people come every day, with the majority of them university students and office workers," a worker surnamed Wang at the teahouse told China Daily.

Zhou Zhengyong, a 23-year-old from Suzhou, is among those who welcome the teahouse.

"To share a prison room with my friends makes us feel like really good friends. The place is so interesting," said Zhou.

However, many people consider the peculiar decorations, and some of the information supplied about the "criminals," offensive and inappropriate for a public entertainment venue.

Dong Jian, a 25-year-old office worker at Suzhou Industrial Garden, said that the venue undermines the country's legal system because of its mocking tone.

"The signs should not be seen by under-aged people," she added.

Lu Shucheng, professor in sociology at Suzhou University, shares Dong's concern.

Lu proposed that the teahouse should ban under-aged people from visiting in order to minimize its potentially negative influence.

Lu said the venue mainly caters for rebellious people who want to experience something novel and against the social norm.

"It reflects multiple social demands. We cannot ban it, but both the operator and the supervisory bureaus should do something to limit its possible negative social influence," said Lu.

However, local officials have reportedly said they will not interfere with the business as long as it follows regulations, according to the Nanjing-based Contemporary Express.

(China Daily August 22, 2006)