China bans entertainment venues near schools, hospitals

Beijing: China has banned establishment of public entertainment venues near schools to provide a better environment for juveniles, prohibiting the construction of such arcades near hospitals as well.

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 with respect to schools and hospitals, as well as the methods that should be used to measure the distance, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. It also specifies minimum floor area for arcades and entertainment venues that permit dancing. The conditions for establishing similar venues in rural regions will be decided by cultural agencies at the provincial level, according to the regulation. The regulation will go into effect on March 11, 2013. PTI