The Central Government has banned naked body painting shows in public places in an effort to maintain social order and ethical values, Chinese media reported Friday.

The Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce have jointly issued a notice, demanding naked body paintings be stopped in public places including shopping malls, squares, parks, exhibitions and other entertainment and cultural facilities.

The notice also ordered depictions of naked or semi-naked bodies to be removed from advertisements.

Some factories, shops and performance groups have been organizing body painting shows in the name of art recently, which harmed social ethics and disrupted social order, said authorities.

(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2003)