The play has been performed around the world

The theatre group producing it denied reports it has been dropped because the country's government is concerned about its sexually explicit content.

"Research shed light on some problems with the play," said a Shanghai Drama Centre spokesman, which was to stage the country's first Chinese rendition.

"It's our own problem, not the government's."

The city's Cultural Bureau declined to comment on the matter.

The play had been due to run in Shanghai for a month, marking its first performance in Chinese.

A run in Beijing starting on Friday is still scheduled to go ahead.

Taboo

The Vagina Monologues has previously been performed in English in 2002 at the American Club in Shanghai to a mainly ex-patriot audience.

Despite moves towards a more open-minded attitude towards sex in China, there are still taboos.

Two books by female authors - Zhou Weihui's Shangai Baby and Mian Mian's Candy - were banned in 2000 for their graphic descriptions of sex and drugs.

The Vagina Monologues, written by Eve Ensler, attempts to smash the taboos by openly discussing female sex organs, while addressing issues of domestic violence.

It has also spawned V-Day, an annual charity event on 14 February, to highlight violence against women.