Beijing night revellers

Beijing will clean up its bustling nightlife ahead of the 2008 Olympics to stamp out drugs, prostitution and under-aged drinking in city bars and dance halls, state press reported.

In an effort to curb "unhealthy" tendencies, entertainment venues will be rated A, B, or C in accordance with how they measure up to joint inspections carried out by city police, commerce and cultural authorities, the Beijing News reported.

"By the 2008 Olympic Games, the city's entertainment spots will be drug free, that is our goal," the paper quoted vice police chief He Angang as saying.

Violations of laws and regulations uncovered during the inspections will result in a lower rating and could eventually lead to fines and venue closures, it said.

Of particular concern to Beijing's growing expatriate community, drinking establishments must stop serving newly arrived customers after 2 am in the morning as of August 1, the report said.

The practice of booking rooms in karaoke parlours for the whole night will also be banned, it said.

For youthful revelers, bars and restaurants will also begin asking for identification cards to ensure that drinkers are at least 16 years old, it added.

In a three-month crackdown that ended in June, 139 night spots were shut down in the capital, while 467 people working in 46 entertainment venues were arrested for prostitution or using and selling illegal drugs, the paper said.

The report said that despite the crackdown on Beijing's freewheeling nights spots, the new rules will not affect bath houses and massage parlors, traditional hot spots for prostitution.