Hangzhou officials swear off private clubs

Private clubs specializing in luxury food and beverages have become rare in the West Lake scenic area of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, thanks to a crackdown on extravagance.

According to zjol.com.cn, a local news website, the city has closed 56 sites dealing in expensive food and beverages in the past five months. Of those, 30 were located in the West Lake scenic area.

Five months ago, Hangzhou, which is best known for its picturesque West Lake, started closing private clubs and luxury restaurants in its scenic spots, parks, sites of ancient culture and former homes of notable people.

Private clubs that charge exorbitant prices are considered a hotbed for corruption, so 46,029 officials in the city have written letters of commitment pledging not to frequent them, according to the city’s discipline inspection committee.