A local government in eastern China has drawn criticism for ordering officials to inflate the number of people at the opening ceremony of an agricultural fair and for demanding attendees clap.

Elaborate ceremonies featuring song, dance and sometimes martial arts and acrobatics often kick off state-sponsored trade fairs in a bid to impress attending businessmen.

In order to make a "big noise" for the Third Vegetable Exposition in He county, Anhui province, and fill more than 30,000 allocated seats, the county government ordered "all town and village work units" to issue opening ceremony tickets, the People's Daily said on Tuesday.

"(They) must strive for a civilised audience, to show the spirit of He county's people," the paper quoted a notice posted on the county government's Web site as saying.

"All items on the programme must be warmly welcomed and applauded," the notice said.

China has attempted to rein in profligate spending on public events and trade fairs, fuelled by authorities scrambling to attract investment to impoverished regions and meet state-sanctioned growth targets.

In April, China's cabinet banned officials from raiding public coffers to pay for celebrity appearances at state-backed ceremonies and other "image projects", state media reported.