(A worker puts up an ad for an adult toy and reproductive health exhibition at the Shanghai International Exhibition Center yesterday. )

Saving China's ancient sex culture and promoting more effective sex education were under discussion yesterday by experts at a summit ahead of an adult products exhibition.

The three-day Third China International Adult Toys and Reproductive Health Exhibition will open at the Shanghai International Exhibition Center today, providing a stage for the sex-product industry.

Shanghai University professor Liu Dalin, a well-known sexologist and the founder of the Ancient Chinese Sex Culture Museum in Tongli, Jiangsu Province, said he was considering moving the museum back to its former home of Shanghai because of restrictions on advertising and financial difficulties.

"We are looking for financial support to relocate the museum to the city with 1,000 to 2,000 square meters for the 4,000 relics and exhibits, because Shanghai is more international and influential," Hu Hongxia, co-organizer of the museum with Liu, told an audience of sociologists, people in the industry and members of the China Health Care Association. "Learning and spreading our sex culture is to cherish our tradition and carry forward sex education."

She said a branch of the sex museum that opened in Shanghai's Bund Sightseeing Tunnel across the Huangpu River last year had proved to be a success. "Visiting a theme exhibition is enlightening to youngsters. Vivid and reliable sex education approaches are especially commendable against misleading information from the Internet and other questionable sources."

Fan Minsheng, vice director of the Shanghai Sex Education Association, said sex education should cover all demographics, from children to adults.

"Sex education is not public food, which is made for people of all ages," Fan said. "Western countries try to clearly define pornographic products and sex education materials, but China still lags behind in this aspect. The ranking of movies and different sex education products is a useful way to help young people's healthy development."

"For instance, a sex museum can provide a learning channel if it divides exhibits and prevents minors seeing the products that show explicit content," he added.