Showgirls onstage during this year's ChinaJoy Photo: CFP

ChinaJoy, the annual gaming expo notorious for scantily clad showgirls, released a series of new rules regulating models' dress this year. While some complained, the four-day show still attracted over 270,000 visitors and more than 9,000 members of the press to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre over the past weekend, according to its website.

The new rules do not allow models to wear bikinis or bikini-like dresses at the show. Women's busts must be covered by opaque materials. Showing cleavage, belly buttons or butts is strictly banned. Men cannot be topless, and women must wear undergarments.

The strict rules challenged exhibitors and agencies to devise other ways to draw fans' attention. Exposing showgirls' long legs was maybe the last revealing allure allowed without breaking the rules. Other agencies invited foreign models or dancers, and still others redesigned their cosplay outfits.

Major gaming companies continued to exhibit at the show, and this year, the conference saw a growing number of online webcasting platforms. People shared their experiences via live streaming, walking around with phones attached to selfie sticks, and some platforms even moved their webcasting studios to the scene.

Exposing showgirls' long legs is maybe the last revealing allure allowed without breaking the rules this year.

Visitors swarm into an exhibitor's booth at ChinaJoy.

Cosplayers showcase their dazzling costumes.

Thousands of visitors queue up to enter the expo, among them many children and teenagers.

A man poses with a costumed model for photos.

Performers play a scene from the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. Photos: Yang Hui/GT and IC