A pub in Kunming, Yunnan Province was forced to take down four portraits of Chinese leaders Monday after diners complained about the images.

The manager surnamed Wang of the Xinbada pub, which is located inside the Kundu Mall in Kunming, told the Global Times Monday that he removed the portraits of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, which he installed on both sides of the wall near the entrance before the October 1 holiday.

Wang said that the pictures were meant to celebrate the holiday but local residents argued that they were part of a scheme to attract customers and felt it was inappropriate.

"I did not realize that my action was illegal," Wang said.

The pictures, which Wang described as approximately two meters long and one meter wide, attracted the attention of many passersby.

"It was an insult to these respected leaders," said an unidentified student from Yunnan Normal University.

A local resident surnamed Hu found the photos so offensive that he complained to the Chuncheng Evening News.

The paper said that some cartoon characters were also hung near the pictures.

Chen Hongzhong, a lawyer with Beijing Lawyers Association said that the Xinbada pub engaged in an illegal act based on the General Provisions of the Civil Law.

Chen explained that using pictures of State leaders for commercial purposes is a violation of the portrait rights of these people, and anyone who violates this regulation could face fines.

The lawyer said that leaders are public figures and their image could appear in news reports but not used for commercial purposes. Even though it is a common phenomenon in China that many public places such as restaurants use such images, it is in fact illegal, he said.

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