Awning should be at least 2.4 meters above the ground and should extend no more than 1.5 meters, according to a new regulation aimed at improving the city's appearance.

Awnings cannot be put up on high-rises, and on walls facing major streets, says the regulation, which also bans broken and shabby awnings.

Wen Qianguo, a teacher in Shenzhen, welcomed the regulation. "It's good to have standards to follow. Shenzhen is a clean city, but it still has a lot to do to improve its appearance," Wen was quoted by yesterday's Daily Sunshine as saying.

The regulation is part of a series of new regulations issued by the urban management bureau Tuesday. The regulations ban hanging clothes from river railings, or opening restaurants in riverside green belts.

It is also forbidden to sell commodities, beg, or sleep on bridges and in tunnels, according to the regulations, which also say tunnels and bridges should have street lamps.

Roads should be washed between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and if a section of the road is made dirty, cleaning should start within two hours, according to the regulations.

Editor: Yan