Should any disputes arise over the distances between such storehouses and entertainment venues, operators of entertainment venues will have to seek written approval to do business from local departments in charge of supervising hazardous materials.

In addition, local governments are required to hold public hearings on the opening of new entertainment venues. These are to bring together residents, schools, hospitals and government organizations that may be affected by entertainment venues.
The public seems to have responded enthusiastically to the new rules.

Almost all of the 65 comments left on sina.com, a leading news website, voiced support for the restrictions on new entertainment venues, though many of them also raised questions about venues that are already in or near residential buildings.

"In the residential compound I live in, we have KTVs, 24-hour restaurants and mah-jong rooms," one anonymous netizen wrote. "Even in winter, with all the windows closed, we can hardly sleep well because of the noise."

Ministry figures show that China's entertainment industry has been developing rapidly in recent years. Beijing alone is currently home to about 2,030 entertainment venues.

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