China bans entertainment venues near schools, hospitals

BEIJING - Public entertainment venues will no longer be established near schools and hospitals in order to provide a better environment for juveniles, according to a regulation issued on Wednesday.

The regulation, issued by the Ministry of Culture, specifies conditions for establishing entertainment venues, regulates the approval process and stresses that administrative departments should provide cultural services.

The regulation stipulates the minimum distance that must be kept between entertainment venues, schools and hospitals, as well as the methods that should be used to measure the distance.

The regulation also specifies minimum floor areas for arcades and entertainment venues that permit dancing.

The conditions for establishing entertainment venues in rural regions will be decided by cultural agencies at the provincial level, according to the regulation.

A supervision mechanism should be set up for cultural products in entertainment venues, the regulation reads, stipulating that venues should have self-supervision systems with people who are specifically assigned to handle cultural products and services.

The regulation will go into effect on March 11, 2013.