Hard times for the lords of the rings

A ban on performances by circus animals at China's State-owned zoos has won praise from activists, but could spell ruin for a traditional industry, report Zhu Lixin in Suzhou, Anhui and Wang Qian in Beijing.

Until three years ago, Li Chengjian regularly arranged circus performances in zoos during China's annual weeklong National Day Holiday. Those glory days are long gone, though.

"Everything has been changed by the government's ruling that animal circuses must stop performing at zoos," said the 36-year-old owner of the Suzhou Circus Family Animal Performance Group, who is the third generation of a well-known circus family from Yongqiao, Suzhou city, in East China's Anhui province.