Chinese investors want to build a 24-hour shopping centre or authentic Chinese restaurant in the hope of attracting visitors from their country to Barnsley as pay their respects to James Hudson Taylor.

Mary Lui, 58, from Beijing, has returned to Barnsley to gather information to take back to the investors in September.

She said the investors were 'disappointed' to learn there wasn't much to attract the Chinese, and said she had considered suggesting a 24-hour shopping centre, a five-star authentic Chinese restaurant and even a health centre.

"There are a lot of questions from the investors, like what would bring Chinese people here? They asked what the vision for the community was and what the population was.

"Chinese visitors like midnight shopping, karaoke and massage, not bars and drinking. But they can't find it here in Barnsley."

She also said Chinese tourists would need an authentic Chinese restaurant, though it was difficult to get a top chef from China because it is difficult to get a work permit.

Mary is looking at ways to attract Chinese people to the town to celebrate Hudson Taylor, who is credited with taking Christianity to China is revered by millions of people there.

There are now 70 million Chinese Christians, many of whom will want to visit his birth place, said Mary.

She added: "They want to come here and build something that could attract tourists and make money."