Chinese pour scorn over golden smartphone

The limited-edition phone comes with precious metals and gems

Chinese social media users have expressed their shock about a gaudy golden smartphone created in partnership with Beijing's Forbidden City museum.

The "Titanium Palace Edition" mobile phone goes on sale next month and has a price tag of 19,999 yuan ($2,880; £2,326), the state-run Global Times newspaper reports. While it contains no actual titanium, it comes with an 18-carat gold dragon decoration and a screen made from sapphire glass, People's Daily reports on its Weibo social media account.

According to Beijing Youth Daily, the gem-laden device comes in a limited run of 999 devices, and was designed in partnership with the Palace Museum, inspired by the imperial collections it houses.

But the phone's gaudy looks and its connection to one of China's most revered locations has not gone down well with Chinese social media users. According to Global Times, one user even went as far as calling it "a stain on the sacredness of the Imperial City". Another Weibo user turned to sarcasm with this mental image: "I always picture the Ancient Emperor strolling through the Forbidden City holding a smartphone."

The reaction appeared to cause the museum to step back from giving the titanium Palace Edition its full backing, releasing a terse statement via its own Weibo account saying "We don't sell mobile phones".

Holding the record for the most-visited museum in the world, the Forbidden City was the imperial palace of China's rulers until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912. Over 14m people visit the museum every year, and - according to Beijing Youth Daily - it earns 1bn yuan ($144m; £116m) annually through souvenir sales.

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