BEIJING - Minister of Culture Cai Wu said Friday that the cost of tickets for plays, movies and other forms of entertainment is too high.

"Tickets can easily reach a price of several hundred yuan or even 1,000 yuan ($163)," Cai said, adding that tickets for entertainment in China are among the highest in the world.

Cai attributed the high prices to high rental prices for theaters, big-budget productions and the large sums of money demanded by entertainers.

Cai also criticized the sale and auctioning of fake artwork, as well as increasing bids in the art market.

"These problems must be dealt with, as they will undermine our culture industry and corrupt artists," the minister said.