BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- China has launched a crackdown on pornographic cards, which students are giving as gifts for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year's Day, according to a government circular.

    The Chinese Lunar New Year's Day, or the Spring Festival, falls on Feb. 18 this year.

    "The number of card peddlers have mushroomed around some primary and middle school campuses across the country, selling poor-taste and pornographic Spring Festival cards to passing students," said the circular issued by an office directing China's crackdown on pornographic and illegal publications.

    It said many students buy the cards and send them to classmates, which is apparently exerting a bad influence on young people's mental development.

    "The cards are full of erotic pictures and flirtatious words," it said.

    Chinese teenagers, especially primary school students, are in the habit of sending each other New Year's cards, which often feature cartoons and only cost a few cents each. Students often send them to friends on festive occasions such as the New Year's Day, Chinese Lunar New Year's Day, Christmas and Valentine's Day.

    The circular calls on education departments to ask students not to buy cards that are sexually explicit and have asked the police to crackdown on the porn card peddlers and producers.

    Chinese police seized about 150 million illegal, pirated and pornographic publications last year.