A satirical cartoon exhibition showing at Beijing's Capital Library until Wednesday illustrates the do's and don'ts of appropriate social conduct in contemporary China.

The Cartoon and Folks Songs Exhibit (inappropriately titled, since a visit to the exhibition last Wednesday did not include music of any kind) is part of the fourth Beijing 2008 Olympic Cultural Festival.

The exhibition uses satirical cartoons as educational tools to point out social faux pas determined by modern Chinese culture, often placing depictions of boorish conduct next to drawings of virtuous behaviour to emphasize the distinction.

The works provide visual examples of the demerits of spitting, cheating, littering, boozing, lazing about, bribing and accepting bribes, writing graffiti, overeating and driving drunk. Contrasting works highlight the virtues of volunteering, being courteous, eating more vegetables than meat and sharing.

Patrons who do not read Chinese might experience some difficulty understanding the cartoons in depth since the captions as well as the word and thought bubbles are not translated into any other language, but they can still get the general picture.

China has a long and rich history of using satirical cartoons to convey social messages dating back to the 1930s.

The display is a worthwhile stop for anyone interested in contemporary Chinese cartooning or needing to refine their uncouth etiquette.