A Chinese city staged a vinegar drinking competition as part of a bid to attract more tourists.

Organisers of the contest, in Zhengjiang, eastern China's Jiangsu Province, said it was also aimed at promoting the health benefits of drinking vinegar.

Contestants were lined up and had to drink three 375ml bottles of local vinegar, one after the other, reports the Yangtse Evening Post.

First they had to undergo medical checks to ensure they did not suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease or mental illness.

Local resident Liu Yuejin won the final of the event by drinking his three bottles in only 28 seconds.

"I kept telling myself that it's not vinegar but sour honey water. This way I can drink it so quickly," said Liu.

A spokesman for the local Hen Shui Vinegar Company said: "We wanted to organise this event as a lot of people don't realise that drinking a little vinegar on a daily basis is good for their health."

The only wise thing I can state about this is ..... Never eat a bowl of ice cream and drink a vinegar chaser  http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/01/barf.gif