A Zhejiang businessman was ordered to close his shop and recall his merchandise for violating advertising and product quality laws by selling condoms in "inappropriate packages," a local newspaper said on Tuesday.

The industry and commerce administration in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, received several complaints about Zhang Zhiwen's products last month, including the illegal use of the national department's name and people's images.

In a raid, the business administrator discovered that most of the condoms stored in Zhang's warehouse were unqualified as they lacked Chinese instructions.

Zhang, 25, dropped out of his second year in an Ad & Design Department at a Zhejiang college two years ago, when he was inspired by a popular condom shop in Taiwan and wanted to start his own business.

"The condoms sold in the shop were no longer just products, they were art," Zhang told the local industry and commerce administration.

The condoms were wrapped in small metal containers decorated with funny pictures or images of historical people, and customers usually received small gifts along with the condoms.

"I brought some samples back and put them up for sale on an online shop on Taobao.com," Zhang said. "They were unimaginably hot sellers."

Zhang printed China's national emblem on a condom called "lady-killers," and on the packing of the box was the image of soldier Lei Feng and the country's late Chairmen Mao Zedong, according to pictures provided by the administration.

Zhang generated 3,000 yuan (US$380.22) from the business within a month.

He then registered a company in Ningbo with the 50,000 yuan his farmer parents gave him. Zhang said he didn't tell them what he was selling, fearing they would be embarrassed, Zhang said.

"I have no idea what I should do now. I've already been in the condom business for more than two years," Zhang wrote on his Blog.

Zhang has been ordered to close his company and recall as many of his products as possible. He said he might return to his studies soon or turn his business into selling toys and gifts instead.

(Shanghai Daily November 8, 2006)