Photos of bikini models in Fujian province wearing Chinese opera-style headpieces on a business event upset Chinese netizens who called the act 'an insult' to traditional art.

The images women wearing bikinis combined with Chinese opera headdress went viral after being uploaded online by a Weibo user stating that it was taken at a small modeling event in Fuzhou.

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Reports indicated that the show was made for the opening ceremony of the "Three lanes and seven alleys" which many dubbed as an embarrassment to Chinese culture and a desecration of traditional art.

Netizen Ningmengdeyan cited that though combining Min opera style elements into a bikini show may be creative, it has very limited positive effects on tradition and hoped that the government would intervene to protect traditional art.

Meanwhile, a staff explained that the show was to follow through with a client's request to blend modern and traditional elements together in one show and was not meant to hurt or upset the fans of traditional opera and culture.

Min opera, also called the Fuzhou drama, is a major traditional opera form in the Fujian province for over 300 years.

It is popular in Fuzhou, North, East and Middle Fujian as well as Taiwan and the Malay Archipelago.

TagsMin opera, Fujian, Chinese opera