A traveling amusement park was closed down in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian Province, for promising extravagant prizes for visitors and operating without a license.

The amusement park, named Happy Carnival, began operation late last month without a business license or public health, public security and environmental protection permits, said Chen Zhanghua, an official with the city's administration of industry and commerce.

Meanwhile, it promised a top prize of a 300,000-yuan (US$37,500) apartment and other expensive prizes to attract more visitors, contradicting the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, which only allows a prize of up to 5,000 yuan (US$625) for consumers, Chen said.

"The existence of so-called prizes is in doubt. The park did not even give details on how a visitor can win and receive prizes. It was dishonest conduct," said Chen.

The administration ordered the carnival, operated by a local company, to amend its plan on prizes according to the law and without changing the total value of all the prizes.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2006)