BEIJING: Chinese authorities have shut down scores of factories and ordered a mandatory holiday for workers ahead of a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 economic powers, authorities said.

The Hangzhou city government ordered a holiday for businesses in the downtown area from September 1 to 7, according to an official social media account. The G20 meeting will be held on September 4 and 5.

City officials have also encouraged citizens to take their holiday out of town, in the hopes of reducing congestion. The city has already spent months preparing for the meeting and has undergone a major overhaul in an attempt to make traffic more efficient.

The order affects chemical producers, construction material factories and textile manufacturers stretching across Shanghai and four provinces.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2016