The Palace Museum at the Forbidden City in Beijing criticized photographs of a scantily-clad model at the complex on Monday. The museum claimed the incident was disrespectful to the former imperial palace.

The official statement came after pictures showing a naked woman leaning on a white marble handrail and sitting on the head of a marble dragon went viral.

The photos were first posted on China’s social networking site Sina Weibo by photographer Wang Dong on May 17.

The Palace Museum said that it had not been informed about the shoot in advance. But the museum said four people who were involved in an “improper” photo shoot in front of Taihe, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, were told to stop by Forbidden City employees on the morning of May 17.

The statement said the shoot harmed public order, social morality, and the cultural atmosphere of the museum, as well as “profaned the dignity of the cultural relics”.

“Such behavior should be criticized by all of society,” the statement said.

Story by Xinhua.