A new policy aiming to promote gender equality in Changfeng county, Anhui Province that awards new parents 1000 yuan ($161) for giving their newborn child its mother's surname has Chinese netizens up in arms.  

More than 50 local families applied to pass on their maternal surname to their children, a local official said on Friday.

Changfeng county launched the policy in 2011 after it was appointed as part of a national pilot program to promote gender equality. 

As in most countries in the world, Chinese children traditionally take on their father's surname to continue the patriarchal line.

"We hope to gradually change the idea of taking the father's surname and carrying on the family line in a bid to promote equality among genders," said Gong Cunbing, deputy director of the local population and family planning commission.

The public expressed doubt as to the policy's effectiveness. According to a sohu.com poll opened on Friday, only 12 percent of the 14,140 respondents supported the idea, while some 60 percent claimed the policy would hardly pose a challenge to existing practices.

According to the data from State Statistics Bureau in January of this year, China's male-female ratio reached 117:100, the highest gender disproportion in the world. However, opponents of the policy claim it undermines traditional family values.

"This new policy is extreme and reflects a misunderstanding of Chinese civilization," said one Net user.

"The Marriage Law indicates that it is both legal to take either the father's or mother's surname. Offering a reward is a kind of discrimination," said another Web user.