Tibetan flags, Warhol image of Dalai Lama: Too hot for Beijing

Do you feel the Olympic spirit? Apparently Chinese censors do. They've already banned the display of the Tibetan flag, either real or on t-shirts or elsewhere, at events. Now they're trying to get rid of images of the Dalai Lama as represented in art. Bloomberg reports that Chinese authorities are working to delay several art shows that would include depictions of the Tibetan spiritual leader, including shows that include works by Andy Warhol and Ma Baozhong. (Censors also ordered a recall of yesterday's issue of the Beijing News because it included a photo of the 1989 military crackdown at Tiananmen Square.)

But here's a sign of American-style "progress": China has set up three "protest pens"; critics are unimpressed, because those who wish to express dissent must register in advance with the government.'

Related: The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama, on view in Japan this fall.

Also: Here's a look at propaganda posters being distributed in China that direct citizens on how to interact with foreigners. A sampling: "Don’t ask about income or expenses, don’t ask about age, don’t ask about love life or marriage, don’t ask about health, don’t ask about someone’s home or address, don’t ask about personal experience, don’t ask about religious beliefs or political views, don’t ask what someone does."