Auctions at temples decried

The Buddhist Association of China has criticized the online auctioning of privileged access to temples via Alibaba's Taobao online shopping website during Spring Festival.

In a statement released on Monday, the association said the auctioning of access to a number of temples in Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces could damage the reputation of the religion and mislead the general public.

Online auctions to sell limited access to religious events, including the burning of incense and bell pealing, were launched on Taobao.com by a number of temples earlier this month.