Under an increasing pressure from the municipal people's congress, local police and cultural administration departments in Anshan City, Liaoning Province, have shut down all video parlors, which were said to play a leading role in spreading pornography, violence and other evil things.
Anshan has thus become the first city in China to close down all local video bars, according to local officials in charge of the matter.
The number of video parlors exceeded 100 at its height around the industrial town, with posters promoting pornographic and violent movies seen everywhere.
Video bars were working overnight to attract young students and jobless youth, while prostitutes also found it a good place to promote their business. Moreover, these places had become a shelter for escaped criminals, sources said.
After a study on the worsening situation, local lawmakers urged the city government to put an end to these video cinemas so as to clean up local cultural market.
The move has received positive response among the public, including many owners of these video parlors.
(China Daily 05/31/2001)
